Hyperventilation syndrome is a breathing turmoil that takes place constantly or in repeated installments and is either in relation to the body or has to do with the mind. Several people choose to express it as a difficulty in breathing in association with a psychological cause, thereby highlighting that hyperventilation is the outcome and not the source of alleged shortness of breath. Hyperventilation has characteristics which are common with those of panic disorder with the majority of patients displaying the features common to both disarrays. Around 5 to 10 percent of outpatients are considered to endure this set of signs and symptoms. This article will present a whole picture of hyperventilation, including what it is, its causes as well as hyperventilation treatment.
What Is Hyperventilation?
Hyperventilation, over breathing or quick profound breathing is a situation in which all of a sudden the person begins to take breaths very swiftly. As far as fit respiration is concerned, it comes about with a strong and wholesome equilibrium between inhalation of oxygen and exhalation of carbon dioxide. However, during the process of hyperventilation, the person disturbs this stability by puffing out more than he or she breathes in. As a consequence, there occurs a hurried decline in the carbon dioxide in the body. Sooner or later, the decreased levels of carbon dioxide cause tightening of the blood vessels that provide blood to the brain. These drops in delivery of blood to the brain bring about warning indicators such as dizziness and stinging in the fingers. Unconsciousness could be the outcome of relentless hyperventilation. For a number of people, hyperventilation is exceptional, and only comes about as an infrequent, terrified reaction to terror, constant worry or an irrational fear; whereas for others, this situation comes about recurrently as a classic accompaniment to disturbing circumstances such as gloominess, nervousness, or rage. When hyperventilation is a regular incidence, it is referred to as hyperventilation syndrome.
What Causes Hyperventilation?
The following conditions could cause hyperventilation:
- Edginess and apprehension
- Blood loss
- Heart ailments such as CCF (congestive cardiac failure) or MI (Myocardial infarction also known as heart attack)
- Over dosage of medications such as aspirin
- Infections such as pneumonitis or presence of harmful microbes or their poisons in tissues (sepsis)
- Acidosis with a buildup of ketone bodies
- Ailments of lungs such as bronchial asthma, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), Pulmonary embolism (obstruction of pulmonary artery by a foreign material or a blood lump)
- A bout of horror
- Pregnancy
- Rigorous pain
- Nervous tension
- Hysteria
Home Remedies for Hyperventilation
Before you start any medical hyperventilation treatment, there are some home remedies which can be helpful in dealing with the issue.
|
Methods |
Descriptions |
|---|---|
|
Breathe through squeezed lips |
As an initial step, be seated and concentrate on your respiration; take breaths through squeezed lips as if screeching or squeezing one nostril. Take breaths through your nose. By adopting these measures, you will not be able to hyperventilate due to the fact that you won’t be able to shift much air. |
|
Breathe after every five minutes |
Reduce the rate of your respiration to one breath after every five seconds or else decrease it to the extent that indicators for hyperventilation steadily disappear. |
|
Tummy-breathing |
Put one of your hands on your tummy, simply lower than your ribs and position your other hand on your chest and take an intense breath through your nose. While breathing in, let your tummy thrust your hand out but your chest should not shift. Then breathe out through compressed lips and your hand goes downward. The hand on your tummy should assist you thrust all the air out but don’t rush. Replicate these steps three to ten times; it’s better to carry out these maneuvers, while reclining on the ground with your knees bowed. |
|
Breathe with a small bag |
In case tummy-breathing is futile then try breathing in and out of a small bag made out of paper masking your mouth and nose. For this purpose, take six to twelve straightforward breaths in the paper bag, then remove it from your nose and mouth and duplicate easy breaths. After that, try tummy-breathing. Alternate these practices till you are victorious in overcoming hyperventilation. In case, you have any respiratory or heart ailment or a history of thrombosis in deep veins or stroke then do not use a paper bag. |
Notes:
If hyperventilation persists for more than half an hour, contact your health practitioner.
Medical Hyperventilation Treatment
1. Examination by Your Doctor
Your health practitioner will jot down medical history by asking you about any medical ailments such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension. hypercholesterolemia; you will also be inquired several queries such as:
- Whether you have shortness of breath
- Any associated symptoms such as faintness, flow of blood
- Specific timings or activities when you experience the symptoms
- Medications being used by you
- Queries regarding anxiety or nervousness prior to the episode of hyperventilation
- Questions about pain, its intensity, its location
- The physician might induce hyperventilation by instructing you to breathe a certain way
- The doctor might request certain investigations such as the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in your blood, chest radiograph or CT scan of chest, ECG, ventilation or perfusion scan of your lungs.
2. Medications for Hyperventilation Treatment
The foundation of management should be analysis as well as rehabilitation of psycho- behavioral patterns instead of drugs; however, the latter might have some role to play in case of ruthless and sensitive state of affairs:
- The Benzodiazepines could be used for hyperventilation treatment but rarely so because of their possibilities for being habit- forming and easing agitation by permitting sleep.
- There is no harm in prescribing Propranolol provided bronchial asthma has been excluded.
- Tricyclic antidepressants and SSRIs do have some role in hyperventilation treatment.
Want to know more about what causes hyperventilation and hyperventilation treatment? Check out the video below: