Specialists from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (USA) have discovered that most patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) have hidden breathing disorders that worsen the condition. The study was published in Frontiers in Medicine.

Chronic fatigue syndrome is characterized by persistent exhaustion, cognitive “fog,” and deterioration even after minimal physical or mental effort. According to the new findings, 71% of CFS patients show signs of hyperventilation and dysfunctional breathing — meaning shallow breaths that do not adequately fill the lungs.

The study involved 57 patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and 25 healthy volunteers. All participants underwent a two-day cardiorespiratory assessment that measured respiratory rate, blood oxygen saturation, and cardiac function. Although both groups had the same oxygen uptake capacity, CFS patients showed abrupt breathing patterns and signs of hyperventilation far more frequently.

According to the authors, such disturbances lead to dizziness, shortness of breath, elevated heart rate, increased fatigue, and anxiety. The researchers suggest that the breathing irregularities may be caused by dysautonomia — a dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system, which controls respiratory muscles and vascular tone.

The team believes that breathing correction could become a new direction for treating chronic fatigue. Possible methods include breathing exercises, yoga, swimming, and light physical activity, which help normalize carbon dioxide levels in the blood and restore optimal breathing depth.

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