|
Hyperventilation
Hyperventilation attack: short rapid
breathing, (like the person's been running for a while) Hyperventilation can be brought on
by a number of factors, they include:
- Anxiety (the most common cause)
- Severe stomach pains
- Heart or lung disease
- Extensive physical injuries.
The symptoms usually last 15 to 30
minutes, and can seem like hours to anyone having them. Though very frightening for the
patient and indeed for the onlooker, hyperventilation is not usually dangerous.
Breathing into a paper bag increases the amount of carbon dioxide in the blood and
relieves the symptoms.
Follow these steps for self help:
- Loosely cover your nose and mouth
with a small paper bag.
- Breathe slowly into the bag and
rebreathe the air in the bag about 10 times. Set the bag aside and breathe normally
for a couple of minutes.
- Repeat steps 2 and 3 until the
symptoms lessen or go away.
- Try to breathe slowly. Focus on
taking one breath every 5 seconds.
Treatment: (To treat someone who
is hyperventilating).
- Avoid becoming caught up in the
panic (remain calm)
- Make direct eye contact, and speak clearly
and slowly.
- Identify yourself if you're not known to
the person.
- Give short clear instructions.
- Make soothing gestures.
- Allow the casualty some space (don't crowd
them in)
- Minimise embarrassment and avoid an
audience.
- Get them to sit down, if they aren't
already.
- Sit with them at eye level
- Encourage them to breathe normally. (talk
them through the breathing cycle)
- Inhale, take in long slow deep breath.
(breathe with them)
- Hold breath for +1 seconds.
- Exhale slowly, (pucker your lips like
you're going to kiss).
- Tell them to relax in a clam voice, just
before they reach the end of exhalation.
- Start a new breathing cycle while telling
them how well they are doing.
- Continue encouraging them to breathe
normally.
Try these breathing exercises on yourself first! (sitting or lying down)
|
