A 40-year-old member asked:
how to know if i have hyperventilation?
1 doctor answer • 2 doctors weighed in
Dr. Samuel Miles answered
Psychiatry 47 years experience
Breathing fast: hyperventilation means rapid breathing. Some people do this when they are anxious. It can cause tingling in the hands and feet, and this may make someone even more anxious.
If you are hyperventilating, you might consider holding a bag over your mouth and nose as you breath, so you're breathing the same air over and over again. This will help you slow your breathing, and stop the tingling.
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CA
A 46-year-old member asked:
Why does hyperventilation reduce intracranial pressure?
3 doctor answers • 10 doctors weighed in
Dr. Michio Abe answered
Internal Medicine 26 years experience
Vasoconstriction: Hyperventilation causes low carbon dioxide which leads to increased blood pH level (alkalosis) which causes blood vessels to constrict. Alkalosis also causes decreased freely ionized blood calcium, which results in cell membrane instability and subsequent blood vessel constriction. Hyperventilation reduces intracranial pressure as a result of this vasoconstriction within the brain.
6108 views
CA
A 40-year-old member asked:
I have difficulty catching breath. Could this be due to hyperventilation?
2 doctor answers • 3 doctors weighed in
Dr. Scott Mackinnon answered
Anesthesiology 33 years experience
Not really: Hyperventilation is the normal reaction by the body to a situation where increased minute ventilation (both rate and depth of breathing) is required, such as exercise. If one hyperventilates while at rest, it can indicate either pulmonary disease, heart disease, central nervous system disorder, anemia, or anxiety. All of these situations should be evaluated by a physician or other provider.
6174 views
A 26-year-old member asked:
Is there a way to treat hyperventilation?
2 doctor answers • 6 doctors weighed in
Dr. Robert Schlessel answered
Specializes in General Surgery
Yes: If you are breathing too fast for no physiologic reason, such as for fever or vigorous exercise, then breathing into a paper bag would be helpful.
6270 views
A 32-year-old member asked:
Hyperventilation, what size paper bag?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in
Dr. Charles Davant answered
Family Medicine 49 years experience
Whatever: Can you still find a paper bag? The idea is to build up co2 levels so the smallest bag that will cover both your nose and mouth and hold a good breath would work. But a big bag would probably work almost as fast if that's all you have. Plastic would not be a good idea.
5942 views
A 48-year-old member asked:
How to know if I have hyperventilation problems?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in
Dr. Humberto Quintana answered
Psychiatry 44 years experience
Fast breathing +: When you breathe, you breathe in oxygen & breathe out carbon dioxide. Excessive breathing creates low levels of carbon dioxide in your blood. This causes many of the symptoms of hyperventilation.
Feeling very anxious or having a panic attack are the usual reasons for hyperventiilating. However, rapid breathing may be a symptom of a disease, such as:Bleeding, Heart/ lung disorder, or infection.
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Last updated Nov 27, 2014
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