Hyperventilation

What is hyperventilation?

During anxiety, breathing often speeds up beyond what the body requires. This drops carbon dioxide levels, causing dizziness, tingling in hands and lips, a feeling of not getting enough air, and chest tightness.

Key things to know

These sensations feel dangerous and often escalate panic, but hyperventilation itself is not harmful and passes as breathing settles.

• Fast, deep breathing drops carbon dioxide and causes dizziness and tingling.
• The sensations feel dangerous but are not, and they pass as breathing settles.
• It commonly escalates panic because the symptoms feel like emergency.
• Counter: slow the breath, exhale longer than the inhale (in 4, out 6).
• Practise slow breathing while calm so it is available during panic.

What helps

To settle it, slow the breath and lengthen the exhale, for example in for four counts and out for six. Practising slow breathing when calm makes it easier to use during panic.

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Related terms

• Panic attack
• Grounding techniques
• Nervous system regulation