Sigh syndrome: is it a sign of trouble?

Objective: The goal of this study was to identify the characteristics and clinical course of patients presenting with considerable stress regarding irrepressible persistent sighing, and to determine whether any association exists between this syndrome and respiratory or other organic disease, during the acute or follow-up period.

Study Design: We conducted a case series review of patients diagnosed with a defined symptom complex and gathered relevant data.

Population: Forty patients who presented to 3 family practice clinics in Israel met our 10 criteria for sigh syndrome: recurrent sighing; shallow respiration; conviction that deep breaths are obstructed; intensity of episodes provokes stress leading to consultation; no obvious trigger; episodes last a few days to several weeks; no interference with speech; sighing absent during sleep; no correlation with physical activity or rest; self-limited.