If someone's a doctor they might be able to help...?

I get this sensation every so often where when I breathe it feels like I'm not getting any oxygen and when I exhale I can feel like air bubbles or air pockets traveling in my throat somewhere. Once it starts it gets worse and worse and the only way to get rid of it is by laying down for an extended period of time/sleeping. It's starting to get really bad because once it gets worse I can't do anything except lay down. It's very inconvenient when I'm at work or school. Any ideas about what it might be or what I can do about it?