Have you ever hyperventilated? It’s not a pleasant feeling, and you won’t forget it when it happens. A really bad attack can feel as if we’re suffocating and/or about to die. So what is going on and why does it happen? More importantly, what can we do about it?
Note: before reading on, please note that breathing issues can happen due to a range of conditions. The information on the rest of this page only applies once you have eliminated any physical causes.
Why do we hyperventilate?
When we need to respond to a threat, our body reflexively supplies our muscles with more oxygen to prepare for physical activity, either to fight the threat or run away from it. This makes perfect sense from a survival point of view. However, most stressful situations in the modern world (such as being stuck in traffic when late for work) do not need nor benefit from us running away or physically attacking someone or something!
As such, physical activity that would use up the excess oxygen does not occur, and our body ends up saturated with too much oxygen and too little carbon dioxide. When this happens, we can feel short of breath, leading us to gasp in air even more quickly, which then makes us frightened and saturates our body with even more oxygen. This can trigger a vicious circle of fear or even a full-blown panic attack.
What can we do when this happens? I’m going to give a very brief overview of two techniques I have found helpful: controlled breathing and muscle relaxation.
Controlled breathing techniques
We can use controlled breathing to counter this reaction, thereby inducing a calmer feeling, reduced serum cortisol levels, lower heart rate, lower blood pressure and a generally more relaxed experience. The technique typically involves sitting in a quiet place, noticing the rise and fall of the ribcage, and controlling the speed of each breath in and out while saying calming things to ourselves.
Some people find a timed breathing exercise helps, where we count while focusing on the breath. For example, the 4-4-8 exercise, where we inhale through the nose for a count of four, hold the breath for a count of four and exhale to the count of eight. By so doing, we allow the body to rebalance the respiratory gas disparity, thereby stopping the hyperventilation vicious circle and relaxing mind and body.
Systematic muscle relaxation
We can also use systematic muscle relaxation alongside (or instead of) the breathing technique. In this technique, we work throughout the body, tensing and then relaxing each muscle/muscle group in turn. One method is to start with the fists then work to the forearms, shoulders and the rest of the body. As well as being relaxing in its own right, the technique allows a client to learn to the difference between tense and relaxed muscles, thereby recognising when they are tense, relaxed or anywhere in-between. The technique is simple, easy to remember and can be done anywhere to help someone relax; for example, a person having a stressful day at work could retreat to the toilet for 10 minutes to carry out the exercise, which allows for a degree of discretion and privacy.
Closing comments
Now you know a bit more about hyperventilation and techniques that can help relieve it, you can hopefully look into the subject more deeply and perhaps practice the techniques. I do offer sessions on both controlled breathing and muscle relaxation techniques, so feel free to contact me if you would like to explore these options further.