Article contributed by Nirvana science consultant dr.Artour Rakhimov
Hyperventilation symptoms are often divided into acute and chronic. However, in most cases, doctors assume that hyperventilation is easily recognizable and not so common.
On the contrary, over 90% of modern normal subjects hyperventilate at rest (see
Hyperventilation prevalence web page with the Graph and Table that reflect historical changes in minute ventilation rates during the last 80 years) and it is not easy to notice.
Chronic overbreathing causes a variety of symptoms due to dozens of physiological abnormalities created by alveolar hypocapnia (low CO2 in the alveoli of the lungs) in each system of the human body.
We have already considered over a hundred of medical research studies that have proven that chronic hyperventilation and abnormal respiratory parameters is a typical clinical finding in heart disease, diabetes, asthma, COPD, cystic fibrosis, epilepsy, HIV-AIDS and many other disorders (see links below).
Furthermore, available clinical evidence and controlled trials of breathing techniques suggest that all common manifestations of many diseases are chronic overbreathing symptoms.
Furthermore, decades of medical research have confirmed dozens of biochemical effects of hyperventilation that include cell hypoxia, chronic inflammation, generation of lactic acid and free radicals due to anaerobic cellular respiration, excessive mucus production,
bronchoconstriction, vasoconstriction, over-excited state of nerve cells, coughing,
sighing,
dyspnea or
shortness of breath, and many others. These effects and related medical references can be found on related web pages (see CO2 links below).
It is not a surprise than that there are many seemingly different symptoms of chronic overbreathing since CO2 performs dozens of vital functions in the human body (see links below). These hyperventilation symptoms are listed below, as well as their physiological mechanisms. In addition, most chronic overbreathing symptoms have simple solutions that are based on reduced breathing (or breathing less). There are, however, in some cases, important practical details in order to perform breathing exercises safely.
Common symptoms of overbreathing
Classical symptoms of hyperventilation:
-
Dyspnea is labored or difficult breathing characterized by uncomfortable awareness about own breathing at rest or at exertion and is caused by overbreathing
- Difficulty breathing (aka dyspnea or shortness of breath) is also labored breathing accompanied by unpleasant awareness about own breathing
- Sighing is usually defined as an involuntary inhalation that is 1.5-2 times greater than the usual tidal volume
- Bronchoconstriction is constriction of airways that is caused by alveolar hypocapnia (lack of CO2). Inflammation and extra mucus may occur
- Bronchospasm is narrowing of bronchi and bronchioles due to alveolar hyperventilation
- Hypoxemia (low levels of oxygen in the blood), in cases of chronic diseases, is most likely to be caused by chronic overbreathing.