IWhen I fly on an airplane no matter how long I m on it, I get short of breath. And now when I sleep I find myself waking up gasping for air. I think I may have sleep apnea but I m. It sure about the airplane and I m supposed to fly to India from the US and many other flights. Why can t I breathe on planes?
Hi, thank you for providing the brief history of you.a thorough examination of the lungs and musculoskeletal assessment of Respiratory muscle is advised. As when u travel in air, the diaphragm is the primary muscles which is pulled downward due to gravitational force.  By disturbed performance of the diaphragm you are facing breathless issue. Kindly perform regular breathing exercises and core stability exercise which will help improve the lung capacities and also the strength in the respiratory muscles. You can consult the physical therapist for the same, and you will be helped.in my clinical practice I heard many pilots and on board staff complaining about the same issue, I recommend them on physical therapy and the optimum results are achieved. RegardsJay In Chat Doctor.