Dysfunctional respiratory symptoms are easily overlooked. They are characterized by recurrent or chronic respiratory symptoms, which are not explained by structural abnormalities and which may mimic symptoms of somatic disease (somatoform respiratory disorders). Typical dysfunctional respiratory symptoms include habit cough, sighing dyspnea, hyperventilation syndrome, vocal cord dysfunction, and primary psychogenic respiratory symptoms. Diagnosis should be based on clinical symptoms and be made according to positive diagnostic criteria. Careful discrimination from somatic disease is mandatory, also because co-existence of somatic disease and somatoform disease is not unusual. Therapy should be prompt to avoid development of maladaptation. In established dysfunctional respiratory disorder, interdisciplinary care by physician, speech therapist and psychologist may be warranted for successful therapy.