Hyperventilation Syndrome

This is going to be one of my “public service” entries—those things I write with the hopes that they’ll be scooped up by a search engine and will be of help to others down the road.  My entire life, I’ve suffered from periodic “shortness of breath”.  It’s hard to describe except to say that I feel the constant need to yawn, and that I can’t take a really deep breath.  It’s been intermittent since I was a teenager, and I’ve never been able to put my finger on what causes it (except that it often seems to happen when I haven’t had enough sleep).  I also suffer from occasional bouts of tachycardia, where my heart starts to beat so strongly that you can literally see my chest pounding.  Now, probably 25 years since I first started to be bothered by these things, I have a name for what my problem is, “Hyperventilation Syndrome”.  It’s so simple, really—I’m a mouth-breather.  I don’t know how I started out that way, but I know I do it now out of habit because I breathe through my mouth when I’m cleaning the litterboxes (no smell), breathe through my mouth when I’m cleaning bird cages (no dust to set off my allergies), breathe through my mouth when I’m picking up dog poop (again, I want to avoid the smell), etc.  I guess it’s something I’ve done off and on my entire life, but having so many pets to clean up after, combined with the stress of being self-employed and Flippy’s recent health problems have REALLY turned me into a mouth-breather.  My poor breathing technique causes me to over-breathe, and that results in a number of symptoms which are self-perpetuating.  It predominantly causes a sensation of not having enough air, and of needing more oxygen, so you can imagine how that can cause anxiety and make the symptoms worse.  I’m lucky in that I’ve had a second-sense about the anxiety part all along, and always try to relax and take slow breaths so I never end up with a full-fledged panic attacks.  Other people with the problem aren’t as lucky, because the endless sensation of not being able to breathe, combined with anxiety, can make some people feel like they’re headed for certain death.  Many over-breathers end up in the emergency room, and many have to take anti-anxiety medication as part of treatment for their problem.

The good news is that the problem has an easy fix—I just need to train myself to breathe properly.  It involves some conscious-thinking, some posture correction, etc., and it also means I need to cut down on things like caffeine, as I notice it makes the problem worse.  I’m sure I have a mild case, so don’t hesitate to see a doctor if you think you might have this problem and that it might be “bigger than you”.  In the interim, I’ve read a great book on the subject:  Self-Help for Hyperventilation Syndrome by Dinah Bradley.  I’m even going to send a copy to my mother, as I know she’s got the same problem.  There are a lot of medical issues which can involve shortness of breath, so of course, see a doctor before you self-diagnose.  But if you’ve had tests and examinations and no one can figure out why you have panic attacks and have trouble breathing, you might want to check out this book.

Posted by Leigh-Ann on 11/16 at 10:10 PM

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  1. I found this entry on google and I’d just like to say thanks because reading this was like looking into a mirror. now I know what’s wrong with me - Hyperventilation Syndrome, I’m dead certain. You’ve put my mind at ease so thanks a lot!

    Posted by Patrick Warren  on  01/24  at  08:44 AM

  2. hey, this has been the first explanation of EXACTLY what i’ve had after many web searches. I am 17 myself so im in the early stages of what you had.. my dads family suffered from panic attacks etc.. i knew anxiety wasnt a problem as im used to exam pressure and so on, i think its the anxiety of thinking i cant breathe that makes thigns worse. Its like having a constant feeling in the back of my throat that i need to yawn and to relax, i also have late nights ie lack of sleep and alot of sugar/caffeine which im sure doesnt help me. I dont know why im saying this by the way, more explaining to myself more than anything. i notice if i do have a panic attack, then instead of the conventional breathing into a paper bag, it seems to help more if i breathe through my nose. i have left my email address with the comment, id greatly appreicate it if you could email me and offer any advice of any sort.. it’s really affecting my life now, my sleep, my conscience, my overall happiness and so on and so forth.
    thanks for having this on the net, and also thanks in advance if you do email smile

    - Jack, 17, Derbyshire England

    Posted by jack  on  05/22  at  09:20 AM

  3. Jack, I’m so sorry I’m slow in replying to this.  You’ve really figured the situation out - it’s caused by anxiety, and the problem is self-perpetuating.  You’ve also figured out that if you can train yourself to breath through your nose, it will reduce the problem tremendously.  I notice that it happens to me when I’m tense, and I think I set it off by absent-mindedly holding my breath when I’m trying to concentrate. 

    To fix the problem, you’ve just got to mellow out and do a little meditation smile Sit up straight, shut your eyes, think of something calm and soothing, and breathe through your nose deeply and slowly.  Stay calm.  If you need to, take deep, slow breaths and count them, and perhaps count up to 100 or something.  If you just take five minutes out of your day to calm yourself, you’ll feel much better.  Eventually, you’ll be able to stop the problem before it starts.  I now find that I’m much better about breathing through my nose, which is healthier for me, anyway.

    You’re probably right about the caffeine and lack of sleep not helping matters.  I don’t drink any caffeine anymore (I stopped a few years ago), and I try to sleep for 8 hours a night.  I know it’s tough, but just think of this as your body telling you that it wants to take it easy.  You don’t have to be a slacker, just be calm and steady, and you should feel better!

    Posted by Leigh-Ann  on  06/05  at  07:34 AM
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