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The Doctors Book of Home Remedies for Women: Hyperventilation

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Hyperventilation

Hyperventilation

Bag Bad Breathing

Take a nice long, slow breath. Now, take another one. There. Feel better? Most of us respond to deep, slow breathing pretty much the same way. We relax, and can feel the tension in our bodies drain away.

Breathing isn't something we normally have to think about--we inhale and exhale at a fairly steady pace, without much thought or worry over how we're doing. People who tend to hyperventilate, or overbreathe in rapid, shallow or deep, heaving breaths may get anxious, further preventing them from breathing normally, says Sally Wenzel, M.D., associate professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and a pulmonary specialist at the National Jewish Center for Immunology and Respiratory Medicine, both in Denver.

Hyperventilation sets off physical changes that can make people feel even more breathless, and they may feel as though they're suffocating, Dr. Wenzel explains.

People with lung problems such as asthma or emphysema also sometimes hyperventilate when they're feeling short on air. And women report hyperventilation more so than men, Dr. Wenzel says.

Here's how it works: Getting the right amount of oxygen into the bloodstream depends on a balance of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the blood. When you hyperventilate, you release extra carbon dioxide with each breath, which throws that balance off.

A drop in carbon dioxide levels in the blood also can cause other alarming symptoms: faintness; numbness; visual disturbances; tingling in the arms, legs and mouth; headaches and even chest pain.

"Women may think that they are having a heart attack, or going to pass out, which seldom happens," says Dr. Wenzel. Once they understand that the physical symptoms that can accompany hyperventilation aren't serious, they're less likely to panic when these symptoms occur.

EVEN-KEELED BREATHING

Here's what women doctors, respiratory therapists and even a yoga instructor advise for women who overbreathe.

Keep your mouth shut. "It's very hard to hyperventilate through your nose," Dr. Wenzel says. "You just can't move that much air."

Learn belly-breathing. People who hyperventilate typically are shallow breathers, filling only their upper chest when they inhale, says Dr. Wenzel. So they need to learn belly-breathing, or diaphragmatic-breathing. This technique makes them use their entire lungs to breathe, and it also slows their rate of breathing.

Here's how Jane Hunter, a Bound Brook, New Jersey yoga instructor teaches belly-breathing.

Sit on a hard, straight chair with your feet firmly on the floor. (If your feet don't fully reach the floor, prop them up on a book or footrest.) Keep your knees hip-width apart and sit forward on your buttock bones.

Keep your spine very straight, your belly relaxed and your mouth closed. Notice the flow of air in and out of your nostrils. Pay close attention to how your lungs feel. Just doing that slows your breath.

Each time you inhale, consciously relax your airways and breathe a little more deeply. Gradually lengthen your breaths. Feel the breath entering and leaving your lungs. Let your belly expand when you inhale and contract when you exhale. "And as your lungs begin to relax, you can actually control the rhythm of your breathing by expanding the belly muscles to make room for the lungs to move down," Hunter says.

And once you reach a point where you are breathing deeply from the bottom of your lungs, try to equalize your breath so that inhaling takes the same amount of time as exhaling does, she advises. "Smooth out your breath so that there are no huffs and puffs."

Practice belly-breathing for five to ten minutes at least once a day.

When To See A Doctor

If you just can't seem to catch your breath, if you frequently feel tired and winded, or if you sigh a lot, see a doctor. You could have a heart or lung problem that requires medical attention, says Sally Wenzel, M.D., associate professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and a pulmonary specialist at the National Jewish Center for Immunology and Respiratory Medicine, both in Denver. Anemia, too, can produce feelings of breathlessness or shortness of breath, along with fatigue. Deficiencies of iron, vitamin B₁₂ and folic acid can cause anemia.

If your doctor can find no physical reason for your breathing problems, you may want to see a psychologist. Look for one who offers help for anxiety disorders.

Breathe into a brown paper bag. This tried-and-true remedy works by making you rebreathe the carbon dioxide that you have exhaled, so blood levels of carbon dioxide rise, says Dr. Wenzel.

"Some of the people with breathing problems I see, especially those with anxiety problems, will feel better carrying around a bag with them for a while," says Betty Booker, a respiratory therapist and pulmonary rehabilitation coordinator at University Hospital in Denver. "It's better for these people to learn to breath properly from their diaphragms, however. Once they've learned that, they seldom need paper bags."

Loosen up. Your clothes, that is. Tight belts and waistbands, girdles, bras, skintight designer jeans, all can restrict diaphragmatic breathing and can make shallow, upper-chest breathing the only kind that you can manage, says Booker.

To take in a deep breath, your diaphragm must relax and drop downward. This creates a vacuum in your lungs that makes them automatically fill up with air, explains Dr. Wenzel.

Get a move on. "Aerobic exercise forces you to breathe properly," Dr. Wenzel says. "You can't run for long taking shallow breaths." Exercise can also counterbalance anxiety, she adds, which contributes to hyperventilation. If you haven't exercised for a while, start out gradually, walking or using a stationary bicycle. Increase to a pace that's comfortable but effective for you, Dr. Wenzel advises.

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