Hyperventilation means that you breathe too fast and/or too deeply. As a result, on the one hand, more oxygen enters the blood and on the other hand you exhale more carbon dioxide (CO2). Especially the latter can cause a number of complaints, because carbon dioxide affects the acidity of the blood. Due to the (false) feeling of respiratory distress and the frightening symptoms, you sometimes breathe even faster and / or deeper, so that the complaints become even worse.
Hyperventilation is not a disease, and it is not dangerous. But it can be frightening and confused with other conditions such as myocardial infarction or cardiac arrhythmias.
Some people only get these symptoms once in their lives, in others hyperventilation returns regularly.
Acute and chronic hyperventilation
There are two types of hyperventilation: acute and chronic hyperventilation.
- In an acute attack of hyperventilation, breathing can suddenly accelerate audibly and often one can no longer control it.
- In chronic hyperventilation, one systematically breathes in the wrong way and hyperventilates day and night, usually without noticing the accelerated or deepened breathing, and without an acute attack occurring. The symptoms are vaguer and less severe than with an acute attack, but are almost constantly present. As a result, long investigations are sometimes necessary before the cause is found.
How does hyperventilation occur?
When we breathe, we breathe in oxygen (O2) and exhale carbon dioxide (CO2). The balance between the content of oxygen and the content of carbon dioxide in the body is then in balance. Breathing normally adapts to what we do: calm breathing at rest and rapid breathing during exercise.
If you hyperventilate,you breathe faster and/or deeper without your body needing more oxygen, so that more oxygen enters your blood and you exhale more carbon dioxide. These changes in the blood provoke all kinds of symptoms, which pass away when breathing returns to normal.
Hyperventilation is not a disease, and it is not dangerous. But there is always an underlying cause.
- Hyperventilation is usually a reaction to anxiety, stress or emotionally charged situations, for example, a funeral, a traumatic experience such as a burglary or a violent discussion with the partner. The body then produces stress hormones, such as adrenaline. It's basically an instinctive response of our bodies to danger, a kind of survival reflex that we got from our distant ancestors. For them, hyperventilating was very useful in life-threatening situations, such as a confrontation with a wild beast.
- Hyperventilation can also be a part of a panic attack. A panic attack is an intense bout of fear and tension and can be experienced as very violent.
- Overload and fatigue can also play a role. Some people may also experience hyperventilation with heavy physical exertion.
- Personality traits orlifestyle
Some people are more sensitive to hyperventilation than others. For example, people who are easily anxious and worried about small things are more susceptible to hyperventilation. People who are perfectionist or people with a fast lifestyle who are hunted are also more affected by it. Someone with a predisposition to claustrophobia is also more sensitive. - Hormonal influences
In the second half of the menstrual cycle, the CO2 level in the blood is lower. This can cause women to be more sensitive to hyperventilation symptoms during that period. - Hyperventilation due to a physical cause
In some diseases, hyperventilation develops without fear playing a role. This happens, for example, with acidification of the blood, which can occur in people with kidney disease or with diabetes. Hyperventilation can also occur due to lack of oxygen due to heart or lung disease, such as asthma or COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).
What are the symptoms of hyperventilation?
In an acute attack of hyperventilation you may suffer from:
- rapid and deep breathing
- feeling of shortness of breath
- rapid pulse, palpitations
- stuffy feeling, pain or pressure on the chest
- twisty feeling or dizziness, the feeling of fainting
- nausea, tremble and sweating
- tingling in fingers and around the mouth
- prop in the throat, dry mouth, tight feeling around the mouth
- cramping of the fingers and toes
- feelings of panic
With chronic hyperventilation, the symptoms are much less pronounced and vaguer. The most common symptoms are then:
- frequent sighing and yawning
- fatigue
- headache
- concentration disorders
- insomnia
- bloating
- back and abdominal pain
- painful stitches in the chest
- an anxious feeling
What can you do in case of an acute attack?
An attack is often quite frightening. In general, a panicky feeling also arises, because one thinks of a heart attack. Still, an attack of hyperventilation is not really dangerous. It is always transient, rarely lasts longer than ten minutes and does not cause permanent damage to the organs.
Once you have had an attack of hyperventilation, you are often afraid to experience this again. However, due to this fear and the associated tensions, the chance of recurrence only increases.
To get an acute attack under control, it is important to breathe more calmly.
- If you feel an attack coming on, try to relax. Relax neck and shoulders and concentrate on your breathing. Do this by breathing quietly through your nose for 3 to 4 seconds. Keep your lips together. Let the air you have inhaled slowly go away between your lips and do this for about 6 to 7 seconds. Count in your mind slowly: in 2-3-for-2-3-4-5-6 in-2-3-for-2-3-4-5-6, and so on.
- Usually you breathe more calmly. Unfortunately, an attack of hyperventilation is often accompanied by a panicky feeling, which makes it not so easy in practice to spontaneously breathe more calmly.
- If that doesn't help, you can hold a plastic or paper bag in front of your nose and mouth and breathe in the air that is rich in CO2 that is rich in IT again. By applying this method for one to two minutes, part of the carbon dioxide is inhaled again, so that the complaints disappear.
- If necessary, you can also breathe in and out in the bowl of your hands.
- In addition to a plastic bag as an emergency measure, you can also take a piece of garden hose of about half a meter. When you breathe in and out of it, you will first breathe in the air that is still in the tube with each breath, so the air that you have just exhaled.
- For those who want to get an attack under control in a more discreet way, a specific device is available in the pharmacy.
- In some people, extra exercise helps. For example, bending deep through the knees a number of times or jumping up and down can be a way to absorb the increased amount of oxygen in the blood and absorb more carbon dioxide, thus preventing the symptoms of hyperventilation.
- Sing a song or read aloud: this will make you breathe more correctly and hyperventilation will be less likely.
If a person in your environment hyperventilates, it is best to stay as calm as possible yourself. Speak to the person in a relaxed way and give reassuring messages. Then try to get breathing back under control together.
Hyperventilation can be confused with other conditions such as myocardial infarction, cardiac arrhythmias and pulmonary edema.
When to consult a doctor?
After an initial attack, it is wise to consult a doctor. He will check whether you were indeed dealing with hyperventilation and not with another condition. If the doctor believes that there is hyperventilation, further examination is needed to confirm this diagnosis.
Please also contact your doctor if:
- you have a tight feeling in the chest that does not go away
- you are very stuffy
- you think it's not because of hyperventilation
- the measures you take yourself do not help
- you repeatedly get an attack.
How can hyperventilation be treated?
In order to avoid new attacks, the actual causes must be addressed.
- Try to find out why certain situations cause tensions. It may be that you are not aware of fear or tension, but that you do suffer from the symptoms.
- It can help when you write down in which situations you get the symptoms.
- Learn correct breathing
In case of recurring complaints, it may be necessary that you do breathing exercises in which you learn to breathe through the abdomen. Sit in a chair and try to breathe only with the belly. The best way to control this is to keep your hands on the stomach. If necessary, you can have someone else watch. Follow the following rhythm: inhale -2-3, exhale -5-6-7-8-9 / in 2-3, from 5-6-7-8-9 and so on. You take more than a second per count.
In the beginning, it is important that you practice this form of breathing for fifteen minutes twice a day.
For example in chronic hyperventilation, you can also follow breathing exercises under the guidance of a physiotherapist. In addition, we will also work on a correct attitude. With chronic hyperventilation, the auxiliary respiratory muscles work too often and often a rather bent posture occurs. Regularly rights your back and adopting a good sitting position is an important part of the treatment. - Relaxation exercises
If the hyperventilation is facilitated by anxiety, stress or threatening situations, these too will have to be addressed. This can be done, among other things, with relaxation exercises, through individual guidance or through group conversations. - Psychological support
If anxiety or stress is at the root, some form of behavioral therapy can also be helpful. Discuss this with your doctor. - Tranquilizers do not offer a solution. Most of them have only a temporary effect and, moreover, one risks becoming dependent on them.
