In this article, you will discover: What is Hyperventilation, how to manage physical and emotional Stressors. What are the common signs and symptoms and what you can do about it. How to manage Stress through your breathing. Learn about voice problems and managing panic attacks

What is Hyperventilation?

Breathing is an automatic function regulated to a rate of 12-14 breaths each minute at rest. This is adjusted by the Respiratory (breathing) Centre in the brain to meet the body's need for taking in oxygen and expelling Carbon Dioxide.

The normal breathing pattern is slow and relaxed using the lower chest and Diaphragm, the abdomen rising gently on inspiration and falling on exhalation. The inspiration phase is short (approx. 1 and a half seconds) and the expiration phase is longer (approx 3 seconds) with a short pause before the next cycle starts. It is noiseless and effortless.

HYPERVENTILATION (over breathing) occurs Acutely at times of stress when the body prepares for "flight or fight". This is a normal reaction but a vicious cycle is set up when the overbreathing becomes Chronic.

STRESSORS   may be...

* Physical

Family demandes, time pressures, work load, frequent telephone calls, prolonged talking, particularly at a high volume, pain fatique.

* Emotional

At times of great happiness or exitement, anxiety over anticipated events such as exams or interviews, financial pressures, grief / loss, anger, guilt, fear.

Whatever the trigger, Hyperventilation results in low Carbon Dioxide levels in the blood stream, thus affecting all the body systems. The body responds in a variety of ways, producing varied and seemingly unrelated symptoms.

COMMON SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

General fatigue, lack of concentration, changes in sleep patterns

Palpitations, chest pain. Chest tightness, feelings of "air hunger", sighs, yawns.

Dizziness, headaches, intolerance of noice or bright lights, tingling sensations particularly in the fingers or round the mouth. Flatulence, nausea, irritable bowel, frequency of urination.

Muscle cramps, twitches, joint stiffness. Tension, anxiety, panic attacts. Sometimes it is easy to identify the major triggers for Hyperventilation but often it be a build up of small stresses. In a person who is chronically hyperventilating, a small stressful event may trigger a PANIC ATTACK.

WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT IT?

The first thing is to recognise what is happenning to you and think about breaking the cycle:

1. Manage the stress / trigger

2. Manage the overbreathing

3. Recognise the symptoms as a result of overbreathing, they are part of the syndrome. Try not to worry about them.

BALANCE / WORK / REST / EXERCISE

MANAGING STRESS

1. Identify the triggers and where possible, work at reducing them

2. Work out stress management strategies and learn.

EXERCISE

Regular exercise is a good antidote to stress. Aim to do some exercise for at least half an hour, 4-5 times each week. If becoming short of breath is a problem, start gently, controlling your breathing as you exercise and progress slowly.

MANAGING YOUR BREATHING

Hyperventilation usually results in a change in breathing pattern. Learning to be aware of your breathing and to be able to change it from the upper chest, tension induced and inducing mode to a relaxed abdominal pattern is a simple but essential skill.

If we are aware of our breathing, we can change it at will.

Make sure you breath in and out through your nose whenever possible. Watch out for SIGHS and YAWNS. Try to stop them by swallowing.

At least 10 times during the day, take notice of your breathing. Check the rhythm, depth and pattern. Check your posture and relax your neck and shoulders. Allow your breathing to more to the abdomen and continue for one minute. If breathing control is difficult, try taking your mind off it. Do something enjoyable and try to forget about it.

VOICE PROBLEMS

A disturbance of breathing pattern along with tense shoulders and neck muscles and elevated jaw and tongue contributes to voice problems. These may then provoke an inappropriate modification of the mechanisms of voice to compensate for the loss of expired air pressure. This is evidenced by running out of air or breathlessness during speech which is supplemented by top up audible inspiratory gasps.

MANAGING PANIC ATTACTS

Get into a comfortable position which makes breathing easier. THEN:

1. Hold your breath for 6 seconds

2. Breathe out gently and hold for 3 seconds

3. Breathe in gently through your nose and hold for 3 seconds

Repeat steps 2 and 3 for 1 minute or until the anxiety subsides.

Remember

Do not take deep breaths / Keep calm / Use distraction techniques

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