another question about hyperventilation

[peege]

Can you hyperventilate without knowing it? I ask because the cons said my problems are due to hyperventilation when as far as I know I've never hyperventilated in my life.

I'm supposed to see him on Wednesday and dreading it.

[knitter]

I took a Buteyko Breathing course years ago, and was told that their theory is that asthma can be caused by "hidden hyperventilation", that you are breathing too much, or overbreathing, without realising and upsetting the oxygen/carbon dioxide relationship. It is not so obvious as when you are hyperventilating and panicking.

Hope this helps, there is a buteykobreathing web site

[peege in reply to knitter]

ah that's really interesting. Just what I was wondering, I shall look it up. The cons is very difficult to talk to & get explanations from. I'm the calmest person in the world and know I dont hyperventilate in the better know way. Thank you very much Knitter

[Hidden]

I hyperventilate at night there are signs when you wake up most common a dry mouth, sometimes with a tingle feeling in your body, from feet upwards and occasionally a depressed feeling, I most mornings use a paper bag to breath in it seems to restore normal breathing

Regards jan

[peege in reply to Hidden]

so it wouldnt be the panic type in the middle of the night would it? When you're asleep.

I've been cussing cons (in my head) for weeks but perhaps there is something in what he says. Thank you for your answer P

[libby7827 in reply to peege]

I wake up hyperventilating sometimes Peeg - can only assume it's associated with a dream. Libby

[peege in reply to libby7827]

- a nice one I hope!

[libby7827 in reply to peege]

Well, if I could remember the dream it could put me in a good mood! On the other hand, if it was a bad one the I don't want to remember!

[peege]

Thank you for that. I've no diagnosis yet for the lung probs - apart from asthama of course.

[Hidden]

I think in my case it's me being very tired from work ect, but stress and worry can also contribute .

Regards jan

[libby7827]

Hi, no, it goes beyond that. It's normally when your condition is pretty severe and when we get out of breath the lungs can very quickly take on a life of their own, pumping faster and faster and gulping air in but not expelling it. You have to learn to take control of it immediately it starts otherwise it goes from 0 - 100 in only a few seconds. Obviously not all copd sufferers get this, but quite a few of us do. Libby

[peege]

I'm beginning to learn that there's hyperventilation as in need to breath into a paper bag/being puffed out and some thing else that goes on that you dont necessarily notice - see Knitters first answer which I shall look up later. P

[Hidden in reply to peege]

Worse Thing You Can Do ... Is Breath In out Of A Paper Bag

Can Be Down To Blood Gases ... Over Breathing

I To Sufferd This Very Bad It Was But When You Start Need To Sip Bit Of Water ... If That Not Working Need To Do Pursed Lip Breathing In Trew Your Nose And Out Threw Your Mouth

If That Don't Help Take A Big Blow Out .... As Those Methiods Have Helped Me ...

[knitter]

I think you can make hyperventilation worse when you breathe through your mouth rather than just the nose...and you can do that at night without realising.

I have a machine for helping reduce blood pressure and that monitors your breathing rate...how many times you breathe a minute...and the rate just goes up if I have a worrying thought!

I try to keep calm and keep my mouth shut...not easy at all !!!!!

[peege in reply to knitter]

ha - I shall try to keep my mouth shut too!!

[Hidden]

During hyperventilation insufficient tidal volume maintains a high CO2 a signal for increased breathing rate entering the spiral libby7827 described so colourfully in o-100. Taking small rapid breaths is controlled by the autonomic nervous system whilst awake this can be overridden with conscious thought whilst asleep the conscious mind will have no control.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Agreed

Yep I Had To Wait For My Body To Take Over My Breathing When I Was Going Bed ... But Things Have Got Better Now With My Hyperventilation

Also I Have Found If Am Feeling Pretty S### A Nap Seems To Help With Speed Wobbles

[debbie19]

Hyperventilating seems to be very common with lung desease, I must say it is doing my head in at the moment, so I'm sure Peeg you would know if you were hyperventilating.

[peege in reply to debbie19]

That's what I thought Debble so I was mighty peeved when cons told me problems are due to hyperventilation.

I'm going to look up Knitters Buteycobreathing & see what it's all about

[libby7827]

Hi Peeg, I don't know why I didn't give you this link before. The blog was what brought me to the site in the first place and has helped me greatly. It will explain all you need to know about breathing. Libby

blf.healthunlocked.com/blog...

[peege in reply to libby7827]

Thank you Libby, I'll look right now

[wellman2]

Don t think I hyperventilate unless I have a panic attack . Re hab nurse says I mouth breathe and that can upset blood gases etc. So am now trying to breathe in and out through my nose. Getting better at it. Don t know if that helps at all.

[libby7827 in reply to wellman2]

I think mouth breathers seem to suffer more. I'm a mouth breather, just don't feel I get enough through my nose and can only manage it for about 30 secs before getting breathless. I'd never thought about it until I tried yoga many years ago and couldn't do the nostril breathing. Had some cartilage removed years ago but it made no difference.

[wellman2 in reply to libby7827]

Re hab nurse sais sometimes you start mouth breathing because of sinus problems or something similar and then becomes a habit that s hard to break didn t have that sort of problem myself so don t know how mine started, I agree it is difficult to do so I started when I felt really good adn wasn t too breathless to start with.

[peege in reply to wellman2]

Thanks Wellman and Libby, that's really interesting regarding your mouth breathing.

I have the opposite, finding it difficult to breath in & out through my mouth.

I've just had a go at changing it, when doing my normal in & out through nose breaths my chest hardly moves. Then with the mouth it moves a lot.

At night my jaws are clamped shut.

For many many years I've had blocked, full sinuses, sinusitis headaches but never had trouble nose breathing - unless binged up with a proper cold. Odd lot aren't we (or perhaps that's just me)!

[wellman2 in reply to peege]

Just goes to show everyone is different what works for one doesn t for another but shared info means we can try things perhaps we haven t thought of. Anyway have a good evening I m just off to watch tele.

[knitter]

Hope your appointment with consultant went well, and he explained things to you. Mine always seemed to be in such a rush, and a bit scarey, he's retired now and not seen the new one. Best wishes

[peege]

Thanks Knitter. I'm feeling dreadful about it but I missed the appt . Completely got the date wrong & thought it was 13th today. So bad.

At least I managed to get some of my medical records from GP practice for next cons - my GP is supposed to be sorting out another referral so I don't have to see the horrible one.

Thanks for remembering