Self Care

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Hyperventilation

 

Breathing faster and more deeply than normal can be defined as hyperventilation. Quick breathing causes the carbon dioxide levels in the blood to fall quickly.

The causes for hyperventilation is usually anxiety, injury or illness.

The person suffering from hyperventilation feels there is not enough air getting into the lungs and may complain of light-headedness.

Feeling the need for more air, he or she breathes faster and makes the symptoms worse.

The symptoms of hyperventilation are :

Rapid breathing.

Difficulty getting a deep, satisfying breath.

Light-headedness.

Numbness or tingling in the hands and feet and around the mouth.

Muscle twitching.

Fainting.

Hyperventilation symptoms usually occur because too much carbon dioxide is given off during rapid breathing. Slowing breathing will restore the normal balance in the blood, and the symptoms should disappear.

Self care :

Try to breathe more slowly and calmly. The anxiety that can cause hyperventilation can bring on greater anxiety, leading to a cycle that needs to be broken.

If you are unable to calm down and slow your breathing, get medical advice.

If you are prone to hyperventilation, learning deep-breathing exercises, such as those taught in yoga, may also be helpful. Because hyperventilation is caused by breathing too deeply and rapidly, it is recommended that you simply close your mouth and slow down the breathing rate.

Hold your breath and silently count “one-one-thousand, two-one-thousand, three-one-thousand.” Then take a shallow breath (mouth still closed) and repeat this. Within several moments, the symptoms should begin to disappear.