How to Prevent Hyperventilation: 9 Steps (with Pictures)

2024 Author: Jason Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-19 22:11

Hyperventilation is the medical term when a person is breathing abnormally fast. It is often triggered by stress, anxiety or a sudden panic attack. Excessive rapid breathing causes a decrease in the level of carbon dioxide in the blood, resulting in dizziness, fainting, weakness, confusion, agitation, panic and/or chest pain. If you hyperventilate frequently (don't confuse this with increased breathing due to exercise), you likely have hyperventilation syndrome. Hyperventilation syndrome can be managed with the powerful strategies below, although sometimes steps are still needed.

Step

Part 1 of 2: Preventing Hyperventilation at Home

Step 1. Breathe in through your nose

This technique is effective in dealing with hyperventilation because you don't inhale as much air as through your mouth. Thus, breathing through your nose lowers your respiratory rate. It may take some time to get used to this technique and the nostrils should be cleaned first. However, this technique is very efficient and clean because the dust and particles in the inhaled air are filtered by the nose hairs.

Breathing through your nose will also help relieve common symptoms of abdominal hyperventilation syndrome, such as bloating, belching, and farting.
Breathing through your nose will also help fight dry mouth and bad breath, which are commonly associated with mouth breathing and chronic hyperventilation.

Step 2. Inhale deeper belly breaths

People with chronic hyperventilation usually take short breaths through the mouth and fill only the upper chest (upper lungs). This is inefficient and results in a lack of oxygen in the blood thereby increasing the respiratory rate. Short breaths that don't go away also cause too much carbon dioxide to be exhaled, causing negative feedback and further triggering hyperventilation. Breathe in through your nose and get into the habit of using your diaphragm so that air can enter the lower part of the lungs and fill the blood with more oxygen. This technique is often referred to as "abdominal breathing" (or diaphragmatic breathing) because the lower abdomen protrudes when the diaphragm muscles are forced down.

Practice this technique through your nose and watch your belly expand before your chest expands. You will feel a relaxed sensation and your breathing rate will decrease after a few minutes.
Try holding your breath for a long time, about three seconds to begin with.

Step 3. Loosen the clothes

Of course, you will have trouble breathing if the clothes are too tight. Therefore, loosen the belt and make sure the pants are the right size (to make belly breathing easier). In addition, clothing in the chest and neck area should also be loose, including shirts and bras. If you've ever hyperventilated, avoid wearing ties, scarves, and turtle neck shirts as they inhibit breathing and trigger hyperventilation attacks.

Tight clothes will make the wearer feel suffocated, especially in those who are sensitive. Therefore, some people have to do this strategy.
You can also wear clothing made of soft fibers (cotton, silk), as rough materials such as wool can cause skin irritation, discomfort, overheating and agitation for some people.

Step 4. Try relaxation techniques

Because stress is a major cause of chronic hyperventilation syndrome, and the most common trigger of acute episodes, strategies to manage stress reactions are needed. Stress-relief techniques such as meditation, tai chi, and yoga are very useful for promoting physical relaxation and emotional health. Especially yoga, not just doing various poses, but also breathing exercises, which are important to overcome hyperventilation. Additionally, try to deal with overwhelming stress by making positive changes and/or practicing bad thoughts about work, finances, or relationships.

Excessive stress or anxiety releases hormones that stimulate the body's "fight or flight" response, one of which is changes in breathing and heart rate.
Getting enough quality sleep is also important for dealing with stress. Chronic sleep deprivation weakens the immune system and causes feelings of anxiety and depression

Step 5. Do aerobic exercise

Regular (daily) aerobic exercise is another way to help stop hyperventilation because it forces you to take deep breaths and increases breathing efficiency. Regular aerobic exercise can also reduce weight, improve heart health, increase fitness and tend to reduce anxiety that can lead to stress. trigger hyperventilation. Aerobic movement is any continuous movement that increases your heart rate and breathing rate to the point that casual conversation is difficult.

Other examples of healthy aerobic exercise include swimming, cycling, and jogging.
An increased respiratory rate from aerobic exercise (characterized by deep breathing to increase blood oxygen levels) should not be confused with hyperventilation, which is characterized by short, restless breathing that does not go away to increase blood carbon dioxide levels.

Step 6. Reduce caffeine consumption

Caffeine is a nervous system stimulant found in coffee, soda, chocolate, energy drinks, and prescription drugs and weight loss products sold on ebbas. Caffeine increases brain activity (thus interfering with sleep), can trigger anxiety, and also negatively affects breathing because it is associated with hyperventilation and sleep apnea (interruption of breathing during sleep). Therefore, reduce or stop caffeine intake if you hyperventilate frequently.

To reduce the risk or rate of sleep disturbances, stay away from all caffeinated products after lunch. Sleep disturbances lead to restlessness which can trigger hyperventilation. Some people are slow to digest caffeine, and should not consume it at all. However, there is also the opposite.
Chronic, daily consumption of caffeinated drinks is less likely to have an impact on breathing (because the body has adapted) than occasional drinking.
Freshly brewed coffee usually contains the highest concentration of caffeine. It can also be found in cola, energy drinks, tea, and chocolate.

Part 2 of 2: Treating Hyperventilation

Step 1. Consult a doctor

While stress and anxiety are often the main causes of hyperventilation, it can also be caused by medications. Therefore, see your doctor and ask for a checkup and physical examination to make sure hyperventilation is not caused by congestive heart failure, liver disease, lung infection, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, chronic pain syndrome and overtreatment.

Diagnostic tests performed by doctors include: blood sampling, (checking oxygen and carbon dioxide levels), scan for ventilation of the lungs, chest X-ray, chest CT scan, ECG / EKG (heart function check).
Drugs that are often given for hyperventilation are isoproterenol (a heart medication), seroquel (an antipsychotic), and some sedatives, such as alprazolam and lorazepam.
Women tend to hyperventilate more often than men. The risk ratio is 7:1.

Step 2. See a psychiatrist

If the doctor confirms that hyperventilation is not caused by a serious illness, the next suspect is anxiety or a panic attack. Ask for a referral to a psychologist or psychiatrist to help treat your illness. Psychological counseling or therapy (which comes in a variety of approaches and techniques) can help you deal effectively with stress, anxiety, phobias, depression, and even chronic pain. For example, supportive psychotherapy can ensure that you are getting enough oxygen during an attack. It also helps overcome irrational phobias (fears) that trigger panic attacks.

Ask your doctor about cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) as it can help control or stop negative thoughts, worries and all the superstitions that stress you out and have trouble sleeping.
Approximately 50% of people with panic disorder have symptoms of hyperventilation while 25% of people with hyperventilation syndrome have panic disorder.

Step 3. Discuss treatment with your doctor

If the psychological disorder causing hyperventilation cannot be cured with non-drug counseling/therapy and your condition is increasingly affecting your physical and social life, treatment is your last resort. Tranquilizers, anesthetics, beta-blockers and tricyclic antidepressants can be useful and helpful for some sufferers, but should be monitored closely (usually in the short term) and aware of side effects (especially regarding psychotic behavior).

Short-term treatment that affects thoughts, emotions, and behavior generally lasts for a few weeks or less than 6 months.
Most people can be taught to control hyperventilation syndrome without treatment (especially with the help of a therapist), while others are dependent on medication. However, the chemicals in the brain may require long-term (within several years) treatment.