Flaking Breath

Flaking Breath, known also as Dying Breath, and colloquially addressed as Spluttering, is typically a sign of old age in Dragonborn. Symptoms generally involve the diminishing of a Dragonborn's ability to use their natural elemental breath, recognisable as a flume or projectile of defensive vapours which a Dragonborn is able to emit from their mouth coinciding with their Draconic ancestry. There are many types of Flaking Breath, the most recognisable being a failure to properly exhale while using ones elemental energy, especially during the elder years of a Dragonborn's life, resulting in small flakes or flickering of desaturated energy; aka. 'Spluttering.'

Symptoms

Symptoms of Flaking Breath vary in severity, if left untreated the unstable energy in the throat can result to internal problems with the body or a Dragonborn's chakras. Common symptoms may include:

• Coughing
• Stiffness
• Inability to swallow whole foods
• Scale Rash
• Throat aches and pains

Treatment

There is no known cure for Flaking Breath, with treatment options varying, some provide temporary periods of amended exhalation while others manage to cease the pain but sever the ability to elementally exhale.

Physical Therapy

Physical Therapy is the preferred path of many Dragonborn who suffer from Flaking Breath, typically taking two paths: Exercise and meditation, with some crossover.
Exercise has shown to help relieve pain relief long-term, common practices including the massaging of the throat along with vocal and core exercises. While this method does not provide much use in terms of using ones elemental exhale, it keeps the muscles which are used by it active, releasing tension and further aches.
Meditation focuses more on the clearing of the chakras, requiring more mental capacity and time given to it, meditation allows for the mild use of exhalation without the following spluttering or pain. This method does however require constant realignment of the chakras.

Medication

There are few and rare medications used for the treatment of Flaking Breath. Dragonborn will orally take elemental crystals, powders, and salves in attempt to treat symptoms, based on their ancestry.

Epidemiology

Flaking Breath is predominantly a disease of the elderly, but in rare cases children can also be affected by the disease. Flaking Breath is more common in men than women at all ages, and affects all races of Dragonborn.

History

Evidence of Flaking Breath can be found in archived records kept in Draedurond, described as "[...] of the old, faint embers emit from the mouth, followed by coughing and soon death."
Flaking breath has existed for the Dragonborn since the Mythic Era, supposedly with cases increasing since the Dragon Breach, where the power shared between the Ancient Dragons and Dragonborn grew weaker.

Type

Genetic

Origin

Magical

Cycle

Chronic, Acquired

Rarity

Uncommon