Hyperventilation or panic attacks

Disease information

Hyperventilation or panic attacks

Hyperventilation or attack of panic.

It is a very fast breathing in answer to stress or anxiety.

This causes that the lungs very quickly eliminate carbon dioxide of the blood taking, to the blood to an acidity state.

It is a temporary state and it has a easy treatment once made the correct diagnosis.

Complications.

The hyperventilation almost never comes associate to serious physical diseases, but it can be a symptom of a panic disorder (repeated attacks of panic) agoraphobia (fear to the open spaces or certain situations) or other phobias, that require specialized treatment.

Prognosis.

The symptoms can be frightful but normally they last few minutes (although in some cases hours can last) and do not cause no physical damage.

The psycotherapy or the advising can be advisable in case that the hyperventilation appears frequently and is caused by the anxiety.

Diagnosis and treatment.

Diagnosis.

The diagnosis is made by the clinic, after discarding some suffering which it can be resembled, like:

an attack to the heart (by means of a ECG)

respiratory transtornos (by means of an analytical one of arterial gases)

metabolic upheavals (by means of an analytical general)

Treatment.

During the attack, it follows the following instructions to increase dioxide in the blood and to alleviate the symptoms:

Cúbrase the mouth and the nose completely with a paper stock market (also it serves as plastic, but he is less safe)

Breathe slowly within stock - market and you return to breathe the same air (the air of stock - market contains additional carbon dioxide)

Try to retain the air in the lungs, against the "necessity" to expel it immediately.

Breathe slowly inside and outside stock - market during at least of 1 to 3 minutes.

Leave stock - market and you breathe normally during minutes (it inspires and it expires every six seconds)

If outside necessary, the process repeats until the symptoms diminish or disappear.

In case that the symptoms reappeared, the process with as much frequency repeats as it is necessary to him (it can all along take a stock market of paper with you like preventive measure)

It does not smoke nor it takes coffee, tea or drinks with caffein: the nicotine and caffein are stimulating and can exacerbar or precipitate the attack.

Medication.

It will have to be prescribed by its doctor, and to be oriented to the treatment of transtorno of underlying anxiety.

Activity.

Avoid those situations that cause the attacks to him, until his therapist indicates it.

Diet.

Reduce the caffein consumption (coffee, tea, tail, chocolate) he is a stimulant and it could be the detonator of the hyperventilation.

Prevention.

Avoid situations that produce anxiety to him.

Reduce stress in its daily life (it learns techniques of relaxation, meditation, etc.

Signs and symptoms.

Fast breathing.

Insensibilidad, creeps and tremors around the mouth, in hands and feet.

Weakness or faint.

Espasmos muscular or contractions in the mouth, hands and feet.

Faint (occasionally)

Dolores in the chest.

I navigate or mental disorder.

Factors of risk.

Underlying emotional conflicts (fear or phobias)

Stress.

Feelings of culpability.

Fatigue or hyperactivity.

Disease.

Tabaquismo.

Excessive alcoholic consumption.

The stimulating drugs (anfetamínicos and éxtasis) produce it with facility.

Causes.

The anxiety is the main cause of the hyperventilation.

In rare occasions the hyperventilation is caused or goes accompanies by pulmonary or cardiac fever, diseases, or serious damages.

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