Hyperventilating

[crazychick]

Can anyone tell me if HYperventilating is dangerous for the body? I often end up panicing and my main system is hyperventilating and i am worried it is dangerous for the body as i feel i am not breathing properly, my chest hurts and my hands, feet legs etc go numb and i go so so dizzy and i am scared.

[smudgie]

Hi there

Im so glad you have posted.
I suffer from panic attacks which causes me to hyperventilate, chest tightening, throat closing no air going into your lungs.Tingling and numb in all areas.

This is what happens to me.Its panic which causes severe anxiety which comes out in me as hyperventilating.
its the most frightening experience ive ever had to deal with.

The biggest thing you have to remember and learn is that it will not hurt you, although you think no air is getting in it is little but enough for your lungs to work. The reason way you have sensations in other regions of your body is because the air stays in the parts where its needed the most, your body is looking after you whilst this is going on.

You have to try and breath deep from the stomach and try and hold on to it for a fews seconds, this will help you calm a little and with practise it will work faster to get you out of it.
Deep long breaths try to focus on your breathing and not the negative that is happening to your body. I was taught by a buddist priest, the art of control and breathing through it, try not to worry about what could happen to you, concentrate on the here and now. If it goes on longer than 15 mins get help not because you are in danger but to help you calm down.

my GP put my head under cold water which stopped it in seconds.

I hope i have explained myself and it has made some sense to you.
Its a terrible thing and very scarey, i feel for you
A big hug from ness
pm me if you want to and ask me what you like so i can try and help you
take carexxxxx

[mirry]

i have a book all about hyperventalating ,

basically, we hyperventalate because we are anxious "THEN" we panic.

First ask yourself , DO i breath thru my mouth or my nose ?

Correct breathing should be thru your nose, because this stops us chest breathing. you should take in a breath thru your nose which will make your stomach rise, then as soon as you have taken that breath in let it go quickly,
DO NOT HOLD ONTO IT,
once you have let your breath out .......THEN hold for a second.

practise daily, it helps.

[DM]

right dogg,

I've only ever hypo'd 3 times. I'm scared of it. But it's the one thing I will not allow myself to do.

The reason why your body starts to tingle or tense up is purely and simply because your body is full of oxygen and so your muscles go into spasm (it's energy for your white stripes remember), hence the tingling and tightness of chest etc...

IMO there are 2 ways around this.

1) Inhale through your nose only for 7 seconds, then exhale for 11 seconds.
2) Hold your breath for as long as you can while walking around. (your body needs carbon dioxide to counter-act the oxygen in you, so by holding your breath and moving, your muscles are forced to use the oxygen in them to loosen up)

Be cool.

[Nibbles]

Hi Crazychick,

Like all anxiety symptoms hyperventilating is unpleasant but completely harmless. There is some good information on the symptoms page which might help put your mind at rest.

Take care,

Mike

[Wenjoy]

Hi there

I have just finished reading a book that was recommended on this site "Close your mouth" its about breathing and hyperventilaation. All that is said above is so true and the author says what is most important is the exhalation and the pause before you breathe in which should be a long pause to help you balance oxygen and carbon dioxide. Keep persevering - I hypervenilate a lot and have learnt a lot from this site. Love wenjoy x

[Panic1971]

This is one of the hardest things about panic. I hyperventilate first, then panic then find the whole breathing really hard to do. I just seem to make things worse. I try to do relaxation cd's but find myself more tense as I have to concentrate on my breathing and make myself feel even worse.

Ness - cannot believe your doctor put your head under cold water.

[djgallant]

I'm the same way. First I hyperventilate, causing the numbness in my limbs. The feeling of numbness triggers my panic. I find it better not to focus on my breathing because I often find myself in a weird start where I almost feel like I'm forgetting how to breath. I try to divert my attention so that I'm not thinking about my breathing and trying to control it. So it becomes involunatary action again.

[fejling]

As part of my CBT my therapist advised me to deliberately hyperventilate so that i could recognise the symptoms, light headed, shaking etc, so I would not find them as alarming when experienced during anxiety or panic. He said that it is certainly not dangerous, just rather unpleasant.