What is hyperventilation?
Hyperventilation is too fast and too deep breathing. The result is that you have too much carbon dioxide. Then constrict your blood vessels. So you get all sorts of complaints.
What are the symptoms of hyperventilation?
Hyperventilating is usually done in an attack. You can recognize an attack like this:
- You have a stuffy feeling, you can have difficulty breathing, you have palpitations and chest pain.
- Your mouth feels dry.
- Many people feel dizzy and light in their head.
- You may be anxious, tingling feeling in your arms and legs, blurred vision or seeing spots before your eyes.
- Other well-known symptoms are weakness in the knees and a bloated and hot-headedness.
Someone may also unconsciously all the time light hyperventilate. He has only symptoms as anxiety, agitation and depression.
What causes hyperventilation?
The cause of hyperventilation usually stress, emotions or psychological problems. By stress, anger, fear or sadness go breathe unconsciously faster. Suitable treatments are also breathing and relaxation training sessions with a psychologist, behavioral therapist, physiotherapist or speech therapist. It can also help a social skills training.
Hyperventilation diagnosis
To determine whether your symptoms are hyperventilation you get a hyperventilation investigation. You need this to a pulmonologist.
You do not prepare specially for the study.
During the examination, you sit in a chair and breathe through a mouthpiece. You have a nose clip so that you can not breathe through your nose. The nozzle is attached to a device that measures how fast you breathe, how many times a minute you breathe in and out and how much carbon dioxide deliver your lungs. It is important that you relax and try to breathe calmly. The technician asks you to do some exercises, for example, for a while at a certain rate breathe deeply.
The survey takes about half an hour and is not painful or annoying.
Treatment for hyperventilation
To stop an attack of hyperventilation through the air you breathe out again to breathe. Breathe through a piece of garden hose about half a meter. Or a bowl shape with your hands to your nose and mouth and breathe it in and out. Do you feel an attack coming? Try to avoid this by moving: for example, make a few deep knee bends or piece running.
Many people use sleeping pills and tranquillizers to prevent attacks of hyperventilation. This is not a solution to your problem. Your (unconscious) tensions and fears persist. It is important that you find out why you suffer from hyperventilation. You can then address the cause of the problem.
There are several training courses to learn how to deal with hyperventilation. Examples include breathing and relaxation training, assertiveness training and discussion groups. Also, marital and family therapy or social skills training are sometimes appropriate.
Breathing and relaxation training can follow a psychologist, behavioral therapist, physiotherapist or speech therapist.
Tips for people who hyperventilate
Hyperventilation at the following advice can help:
- Eat healthy.
- Exercise regularly.
- Avoid stress and relax regularly. It is important that you, literally and figuratively, to get enough breath.
- Learn to take good care of yourself. Come honestly for what you want or think.
- Consider whether there might be problems that cause stress for you. Search may help to solve these problems.
- Talk to others about the things you deal. Also about your hyperventilation.
- Pay attention to your breathing. When you breathe, move your belly, not your chest. Breathe especially good. That is more important than inhalation. For example, three seconds and six seconds off. Then try count four and eight counts out. Breathe calmly. At rest, breathe twelve times per minute is usually sufficient. Try not to yawn or gasping for air. Speak slowly and in short sentences, so you will not breath.