What Is The Connection Between Hyperventilation And Anxiety?

Difficulty breathing, rapid heartbeat, dizziness, numbness, chest tightness, anxiety… Hyperventilation and anxiety are closely related.

Getting short of breath and not getting enough oxygen to your lungs can be a frightening sensation. This can also be a direct result of some mental disorders that many people are not aware of.

Not everyone associates this feeling with fear. People usually think they have asthma or some other cardiorespiratory problem. However, if you go to the emergency room or your doctor and they rule out any physical causes, you may feel confused. So, how can fear cause something so painful?

You may forget that this anticipation mechanism to external and internal stimuli is directly related to breathing. The body’s priority, in response to fear, is to respond to it.

To do this, your heart rate speeds up and the amount of oxygen your muscles receive increases. The goal is simple: escape the wild animal that is chasing you.

Remember that hyperventilation is not a disease. It’s not serious and it can’t kill you. It is a side effect of anxiety that people with panic disorders often experience. Let’s get into it right away.

Hyperventilation and Anxiety: Symptoms, Characteristics and How to Cope

Anxiety is one of the clinical conditions that causes the most physical symptoms. Studies conducted at the University of Health Sciences at Chicago Medical School show that in general, being highly sensitive to anxiety is a risk factor for panic attacks and, in turn, hyperventilation.

It is important to note that hyperventilation or shortness of breath can certainly be the sign of another problem that is not purely emotional. Asthma, emphysema, and other lung problems can also explain this sudden breathing problem. Either way, the best course of action is to see your doctor for a proper diagnosis.

Why do you hyperventilate when you’re anxious?

If you breathe faster than necessary to meet your body’s oxygen needs, you hyperventilate. This happens, as you might imagine, in stressful situations or when your anxiety reaches a heightened or uncontrollable level. You don’t realize you’re breathing fast and you create an imbalance in your oxygen levels.

• Hyperventilation disrupts the balance between oxygen and carbon dioxide.

• Your brain interprets this sudden drop in carbon dioxide levels in your blood as a threat.
• The goal is to stabilize the situation by reducing the levels of inhaled oxygen and exhaled carbon dioxide as quickly as possible.
• Your body does that by lowering the impulse to breathe. That is, your brain sends a message to reduce your breathing and that’s where suffocation comes from.
• While you desperately want to catch your breath, your body is actually making it harder for you. This clearly exacerbates your panic and anxiety.

While it is true that hyperventilation is not serious and no one has ever died from it, it is very scary to experience.

Symptoms of hyperventilation and anxiety

Hyperventilation and anxiety are closely linked. When your emotional load is high, your body reacts. Normally, the physiological response is then intense.

The hardest part about these situations is that experiencing a panic attack or hyperventilation will only increase your fear and anxiety. It’s a vicious circle. The following are the most common features of this hyperventilation and anxiety cycle:

• Hyperventilation caused by anxiety usually lasts about 20 minutes.
• You will feel increased physical and emotional tension.
• It can make you feel like you can’t breathe, like you’re short of breath. The feeling of suffocation gradually gets worse.
• Your heart beats faster and harder.
• You may feel a tingling sensation in your hands, legs, and around your mouth.
• Dizziness and tunnel vision are common.
• Headaches and fainting are also common. You can also sweat.

How do you deal with hyperventilation and anxiety?

When you hear the word hyperventilation, you probably picture someone blowing into a paper bag. While this is actually a good strategy, there are other aspects to consider as well.

• Hyperventilation is not a disease. It is a symptom and it is important to know the source. The first step is to rule out physical conditions.
• If fear is causing you to hyperventilate, try to find out what is causing your fear.
• Cognitive behavioral therapy, rational-emotive behavior therapy, cognitive therapy aimed at solutions for hyperventilation or EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy) can yield good results.
• On the other hand, if you are having a hyperventilation attack, it is important to focus on your breathing.

• If you breathe faster, the feeling that you are choking gets worse. Instead, you need to slow down your oxygen uptake.
• Breathing with your lips together, as if you were blowing out a candle, can also help.
• There is also another strategy you can try. Cover one nostril and breathe through the other. This is another effective way to breathe more slowly.

Finally, you can always try the classic paper bag technique. All you have to do is cover your nose and mouth with a paper bag and start breathing.

This will slow your breathing and will also balance your CO2 levels. Finally, make sure you find out what’s causing your breathing problems and get help.