Stress causes us to breathe faster.  When we breathe at a rate greater than our body's need for air, we become carbon dioxide deficient.  That causes many problems.

It is common knowledge that oxygen is good and carbon dioxide is bad, and that we should breath more and deeper.  However, this is an oversimplification which may be classified as a myth.  When there is too little carbon dioxide present, many serious, chronic, illnesses occur, even when there is ample oxygen.  As in most things in life, balance is important.  Carbon dioxide in the blood has many important functions, and a shortage of it, called hypocapnia, causes malfunctions.  Here are some of them. 
 

These effects and symptoms have been recognized since the early ‘20s by specialists, but only now is the word beginning to reach the general medical community.  Many practitioners have not yet seen the research.  And the news has not reached the public.
 

Carbon dioxide is an important part of proper body function.  It dissolves in the blood, forming carbonic acid, and is important in stimulating respiration, maintaining proper acid-base balance, and has a calming affect on nerve cells.

Overbreathing is simply breathing more air than the body's current metabolic requirement for oxygen.  The result is a purging of carbon dioxide, both from the lungs and the blood.  When there is insufficient carbon dioxide in the body, the condition is known as hypocapnia (or hypocarbia), and it produces respiratory alkalosis, an acid-base imbalance. 

Note: Supplemental oxygen, without the addition of carbon dioxide (95% O2, 5% CO2 is the recommended amount), will not correct for respiratory alkalosis, and the problems that go with it. 100% oxygen induces vasoconstriction independently of the CO2 level in the blood.

When overbreathing becomes habitual, the body tries to return to balance by discharging bicarbonate of soda (an alkaline mineral made in the pancreas and kidney) through the kidneys.  In addition, it dumps magnesium, potassium, and sodium as well, but not calcium, creating a mineral imbalance that affects soft tissue in several ways.

The calcium ion is used as a signal for contraction of the muscle cell.  Magnesium is the signal for relaxation of the muscle cell.  With insufficient magnesium, a nerve signal for a muscle contraction cannot be countermanded, causing muscle cramp.  This cramp or spasm can occur in voluntary muscles, such as the arms and legs, and in smooth muscle such as heart, bronchial tubes, and arteries.

With this mineral imbalance, calcium deposits in soft tissue, such as hair, blood vessels, and muscles.  The deposit of calcium in muscle can cause pain directly.  When deposited in the blood vessels, vessel flexibility is impaired and the diameter of the vessel can be reduced.

The body also produces additional lactic acid in an attempt to correct the alkalosis.  This extra lactic acid contributes to fatigue and oxidation of the tissue.

The imbalance of oxygen and carbon dioxide has direct effects also.  With low CO2, there is no signal to the red blood cell to release its oxygen, so available oxygen falls even though ample oxygen is present.  The excess oxygen in the bloodstream provides pro-oxidant free radicals that cause inflammation and anti-oxidant depletion.  When the blood level of CO2 is low, it diffuses out of nerve cells, leaving them more sensitive to stimulation.  They can begin to fire with little provocation, sending signals throughout the body, with many unwelcome consequences.

When these signals go to the heart, the result can be palpitations, arrhythmia, and tachycardia.  When they go to the hands, there can be tremors; to the bladder, frequent urinary urge; to the gut, diarrhea; to the esophagus, acid reflux; and to the lungs, asthma attacks.   (With lung problems, the most important step is to be sure to exhale completely, to empty the lung.)

Hypocapnia always results in narrowed arteries and veins, with associated high blood pressure (hypertension).  When the blood vessels are constricted, less blood is delivered to tissue, which means less oxygen and less glucose for fuel.  The extra signals to the heart, coupled with less oxygen and fuel are implicated in  heart attacks.

When blood vessels to the brain are constricted, brain cells are undernourished and may be damaged.  There is confusion, attention deficit, poor memory, and in the worst case, ischemic stroke.  This local hypoglycemia may cause a craving for sweets.

There is also an effect on the emotions, probably mediated by neuropeptides being released by the sensitive nerves, and by the restricted blood flow to the forebrain.  The emotions triggered can run the full range from anger to anxiety to depression.  There can be hallucinations, and even symptoms of schizophrenia.

The breathing reflex is triggered by the presence of CO2, not by an oxygen deficiency.  With habitual overbreathing, the habit prevails while awake.  But when asleep, with  hypocapnia present, the CO2 signal to the brain stem is missing, and breathing stops until the CO2 level rises enough to trigger the breathing reflex.  This is called sleep apnea.

There are two easy ways to check for overbreathing. Many of the symptoms can be experienced with 2-3 minutes of intentional hyperventilation.  This should not be done by someone at risk for stroke, epilepsy, or asthma or heart attack.

Rebreathing, that is, breathing into a paper sack and increasing the amount of carbon dioxide brought into the body, will immediately reduce temporary symptoms.  Of course, the mineral imbalance will take longer to correct than it does to correct the hypocapnia and respiratory alkalosis.

Doctors may use a device called a capnometer, a unit similar to an alcohol breathalyzer, to measure the carbon dioxide in the out breath.  The amount of carbon dioxide dissolved in the blood closely matches that in the breath at the end of exhalation.

The basic solution to overbreathing is to breathe less.  Deep breathing is good, but it must be slowed to match metabolic requirements.  This runs counter to a strong cultural myth that more breathing is better. 

If you recognize having these symptoms yourself, and want to experience relief, what is the route?  You can go to someone who does biofeedback, a physical therapist, or a  yoga teacher to learn new breathing practices.  Take a printout of this page with you, so you can be sure the person you are going to work with appreciates the issues fully.

Or come see me for hypnosis to break an old bad habit and quickly install a new, good, habit.  We can also work on any issues like anger or fear that contribute to hyperventilation as part of your reaction to life.