When I take a really deep breath ...

[A_Dodgy_Dude]

… it feels like the tops of my lungs are stretching. It feels slightly uncomfortable in a vaguely pleasant way.

Am I doing some sort of harm to myself or am I just increasing my lung capacity?

[DavidwithanR]

Go ahead, you aren’t causing any problems if it doesn’t actually hurt.

[elfkin477]

Do you have asthma? I get a similar feeling when I’m symptomatic. And no one I’ve ever mentioned this to seems to understand how it can be both somewhat uncomfortable and kind of nice at the same time.

[Johanna]

It’s the clavicular phase of breathing:

1. The diaphragm lowers and pulls air in.
2. The ribs expand and the middle space fills with air.
3. The clavicle lifts and the tip tops of the lungs get stretched up.

If you don’t do all 3 phases you’re not fully breathing. You want to do that. No wonder it feels good.

[A_Dodgy_Dude]

@elfkin477

Do you have asthma? I get a similar feeling when I’m symptomatic. And no one I’ve ever mentioned this to seems to understand how it can be both somewhat uncomfortable and kind of nice at the same time.

Nope. No asthma.

[A_Dodgy_Dude]

@Johanna

It’s the clavicular phase of breathing:

1. The diaphragm lowers and pulls air in.
2. The ribs expand and the middle space fills with air.
3. The clavicle lifts and the tip tops of the lungs get stretched up.

If you don’t do all 3 phases you’re not fully breathing. You want to do that. No wonder it feels good.

OK, thanks, Johanna.