CHENNAI: Researchers have found that people with chronic fatigue syndrome tend to experience shortness of breath, which offers a target for treatment and may bring relief from symptoms. Chronic fatigue syndrome is marked by exhaustion that persists despite rest and cognitive problems, including brain fog and difficulty concentrating.

The researchers from the US’ Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai monitored 57 patients diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome while performing physical activity. Results published in the journal Frontiers in Medicine show dysfunctional breathing can look like a deep sigh while breathing ordinarily, overly rapid breathing or shallow breathing so that lungs are never properly breathing.

A loss in coordination between chest and abdomen could also prevent the varied muscles that help one breathe from working together, they said. Heart rate and blood pressure of the participants, which also included 25 healthy ones, were measured along with oxygen saturation of blood, while doing cardiopulmonary exercises over two days.

The team suggested that breathing problems could worsen or even directly contribute to post-exertional malaise, in which symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome get worse following mental or physical exercise.