Why hyperventilation makes you dizzy

The balance between the oxygen-rich air you breathe in and the carbon-dioxide rich air breathed out is controlled by your lungs. Even slight falls in carbon dioxide levels directly affect nerve cells, as well as blood flow to your heart and brain, producing a wide variety of symptoms in any organ or system in your body.

Natural anxiety over symptoms leads to further over-breathing, creating a vicious circle. This new breathing pattern becomes a major stress all by itself. The normal pattern of breathing often changes from abdominal breathing to upper chest breathing, often through your mouth, leading to changes in upper chest and neck muscles, which in turn causes pain, tension and headaches.

There are many triggers, involving physical, emotional and environmental factors. Acute attack — agitation, rapid upper chest breathing and heart-rate, chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea, tingling, dizziness, clammy hands, dilated pupils, perhaps fainting and general weakness. Chronic or long-standing — general tiredness, lack of concentration and sleep disturbances, tingling, dizziness, chest pain and palpitations, irritable cough and breathing discomfort with frequent sighs and yawns, erratic blood pressure, upset gut, bloated feelings, nausea, sexual problems, achy muscles, twitching and cramps, tension and panicky feelings, depression and anxiety.

Chronic hyperventilation is increasingly recognised as a significant cause of ill-health, although it remains widely under-diagnosed. If undiagnosed and untreated, the chronic hyperventilator lives in fear of symptoms and self-confidence can take a nose-dive. Life can become a misery for the over-breather. Excessive breathing creates a low level of carbon dioxide in your blood. This causes many of the symptoms of hyperventilation. You may hyperventilate from an emotional cause such as during a panic attack.

Or, it can be due to a medical problem, such as bleeding or infection. Your health care provider will determine the cause of your hyperventilation. Rapid breathing may be a medical emergency and you need to get treated, unless you have had this before and your provider has told you that you can treat it on your own. When you're overbreathing, you might not be aware you're breathing fast and deep.

But you'll likely be aware of the other symptoms, including:. If your provider has said your hyperventilation is due to anxiety, stress, or panic, there are steps you can take at home. You, your friends, and family can learn techniques to stop it from happening and prevent future attacks. If you start hyperventilating, the goal is to raise the carbon dioxide level in your blood. This will end most of your symptoms. Ways to do this include:. Your provider will perform a physical exam and ask about your symptoms.

Your breathing will also be checked. If you are not breathing quickly at the time, the provider may try to cause hyperventilation by telling you to breathe in a certain way. The provider will then watch how you breathe and check which muscles you're using to breathe. Learn how we develop our content. To learn more about Healthwise, visit Healthwise.

Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. It looks like your browser does not have JavaScript enabled. Please turn on JavaScript and try again. Important Phone Numbers. Topic Overview Hyperventilation is breathing that is deeper and more rapid than normal.

Symptoms of hyperventilation Symptoms of hyperventilation usually last 20 to 30 minutes and may include: Feeling anxious, nervous, or tense. Frequent sighing or yawning. Feeling that you can't get enough air air hunger or need to sit up to breathe.

A pounding and racing heartbeat. Problems with balance, light-headedness , or vertigo. Numbness or tingling in the hands, feet, or around the mouth. Chest tightness, fullness, pressure, tenderness, or pain. These symptoms can include: Headache. Gas, bloating, or burping. Vision changes, such as blurred vision or tunnel vision. Problems with concentration or memory. Loss of consciousness fainting. Check Your Symptoms Do you have problems with hyperventilation?

How old are you? Less than 12 years. Are you male or female? Why do we ask this question? The medical assessment of symptoms is based on the body parts you have. If you are transgender or non-binary, choose the sex that matches the body parts such as ovaries, testes, prostate, breasts, penis, or vagina you now have in the area where you are having symptoms. If you have some organs of both sexes, you may need to go through this triage tool twice once as "male" and once as "female".

This will make sure that the tool asks the right questions for you. Have you noticed irregular heartbeats or heart rate changes even when you are not hyperventilating? Do you think there could be a breathing problem other than hyperventilation?

Do you think you have a breathing problem other than hyperventilation? Did you pass out completely lose consciousness? If you are answering for someone else: Is the person unconscious now? Are you back to your normal level of alertness? After passing out, it's normal to feel a little confused, weak, or light-headed when you first wake up or come to.

But unless something else is wrong, these symptoms should pass pretty quickly and you should soon feel about as awake and alert as you normally do. Did the loss of consciousness occur during the past 24 hours? Could you be having symptoms of a heart attack? If you're having a heart attack, there are several areas where you may feel pain or other symptoms. Are you having trouble breathing more than a stuffy nose? Would you describe the problem as severe, moderate, or mild?

Can you control your breathing? Some people can control their hyperventilation by breathing into a paper bag or using different breathing techniques. Do you feel light-headed or dizzy, like you are going to faint? It's normal for some people to feel a little light-headed when they first stand up. But anything more than that may be serious. Are you still hyperventilating after 30 minutes of home treatment? Do you hyperventilate often? Does the problem interfere with your daily activities?

Are you having more frequent or severe problems with hyperventilation? Have you had problems with hyperventilation for more than a week? These include: Your age. Babies and older adults tend to get sicker quicker. Your overall health. If you have a condition such as diabetes, HIV, cancer, or heart disease, you may need to pay closer attention to certain symptoms and seek care sooner. Medicines you take. Certain medicines, such as blood thinners anticoagulants , medicines that suppress the immune system like steroids or chemotherapy, or natural health products can cause symptoms or make them worse.

Recent health events , such as surgery or injury. These kinds of events can cause symptoms afterwards or make them more serious. Your health habits and lifestyle , such as eating and exercise habits, smoking, alcohol or drug use, sexual history, and travel. Try Home Treatment You have answered all the questions. Try home treatment to relieve the symptoms. Call your doctor if symptoms get worse or you have any concerns for example, if symptoms are not getting better as you would expect.

You may need care sooner. For example: You may feel a little out of breath but still be able to talk mild difficulty breathing , or you may be so out of breath that you cannot talk at all severe difficulty breathing. It may be getting hard to breathe with activity mild difficulty breathing , or you may have to work very hard to breathe even when you're at rest severe difficulty breathing.

Severe trouble breathing means: You cannot talk at all. You have to work very hard to breathe. You feel like you can't get enough air. You do not feel alert or cannot think clearly. Moderate trouble breathing means: It's hard to talk in full sentences.

It's hard to breathe with activity. Mild trouble breathing means: You feel a little out of breath but can still talk. It's becoming hard to breathe with activity. Symptoms of a heart attack may include: Chest pain or pressure, or a strange feeling in the chest. Shortness of breath. Nausea or vomiting. Pain, pressure, or a strange feeling in the back, neck, jaw, or upper belly, or in one or both shoulders or arms.

Light-headedness or sudden weakness.