Why Does Breathing Into a Paper Bag Decrease the Effects of Hyperventilation?

Hyperventilation is a condition where a person takes deep, rapid breaths that lead to overventilation of the lungs. This overventilation leads to several symptoms characteristic of hyperventilation. Breathing into a paper bag is one way to deal with hyperventilation.

Breathing Into a Paper Bag

• The idea behind rebreathing, or breathing into a paper bag, is to ease the uncontrolled breathing associated with hyperventilation. Breathing the expelled air in the bag helps restore the balance of carbon dioxide in the body, which leads to a decrease in the symptoms of hyperventilation. However, according to WebMD and other publications, this practice can be dangerous because some conditions, like asthma or heart attacks, may have the same symptoms as hyperventilation. Asking people suffering from other symptoms to breathe into paper bags may lead to aggravation of those symptoms, unconsciousness or even death.

Causes

• Hyperventilation is caused by stress, excitement, strenuous exercise, fever and anxiety. Hyperventilation could also be brought on by episodes of an asthma attack, head injury or emphysema. Other possible causes of hyperventilation include lung cancer and an increase in elevation. Some women experience bouts of hyperventilation during pregnancy, which usually stops once they give birth.

Symptoms

• Symptoms of hyperventilation include a tingling in the hands, mouth or feet, and feelings of numbness, tunnel vision, blurred vision and headaches. Other symptoms of hyperventilation include feelings of suffocation, frequent yawning, sweating, a racing heartbeat, problem with balance and a tight feeling in the chest. Some treatments for hyperventilation are a reduction in stress and anxiety, and the use of proper breathing techniques. Severe or frequent cases of hyperventilation require medical treatment.