Overbreathing

Definition:

HVS (Hyperventilation Syndrome), low Co2 symptoms (hypocapnia): HPV is a disorder that often presents with chest pain and a tingling sensation of the fingertips (paresthesia) and around the mouth, as well as deep and labored breathing (causing hyperventilation), although chronic but subtle hyperventilation can cause these symptoms too. Hypocapnia is a deficiency of carbon dioxide in the blood, resulting from hyperventilation and eventually leading to alkalosis

Kim Upton on Overbreathing – are you doing it?

Surveys suggest that 10 to 25 percent of the UK population suffers from chronic overbreathing. Twenty percent of primary care and 50 percent of out-patients have medically unexplained symptoms that have a striking similarity to those presented on the Nijmegen questionnaire used to evaluate hyperventilation. For every person who shows up in hospital, how many more show up in a clinic or surgery with overbreathing symptoms? For every person who goes to see a doctor, how many more simply go to work? And for every one who reports a medical symptom, how many more suffer with poor performance and feelings of being 'under the weather?

One minute of overbreathing can cause up to a 40% decrease in oxygen delivered to the brain

Overbreathing exacerbates asthma

One of the biggest assumptions I’ve come across in my work as a Breath Coach and Buteyko Practitioner, is the belief that the more we breathe the more oxygen we obtain. Therefore, the assumption is that we should breathe more. In my work with asthma sufferers this is the over-riding belief during an attack. The suffocating symptoms of asthma cause an ‘instinctive’ reaction to try and breathe more. I’m not getting enough air! I need to breathe heavier, faster, DEEPER!

BUT, does this strategy work?

In my experience, no. It only makes the asthma symptoms worse and intensifies the feelings of ‘not getting enough air’.

Research backs this up:

~33% of women and 20% of men who are diagnosed asthmatics have dysfunctional breathing Clinical trials in the UK, Australia and New Zealand have shown that Breath Coaching using the Buteyko Breathing Method over 12 weeks:

• provided sustained relief from asthma symptoms
• enabled a 90% reduction in reliever medication
• enabled a 50% reduction in preventative medication

Breathing more gives you less oxygen.

Have a look at these two PET scans below. The scan on the left reveals high concentrations of oxygen as measured by the bar chart at the bottom. The brain scan on the right shows a 40% deficit in oxygen in the same brain. The interesting fact is that the only difference between the two scans is one minute of overbreathing. Take three deep breathes, fairly rapidly right now.

How do you feel? Is there a noticeable change? Do you feel slightly light-headed? If you did, then this is one of the effects that breathing has on the chemistry of your entire body. In JUST THREE BREATHS your brain is deprived of a significant amount of precious oxygen.

Breathing Chemistry: Carbon Dioxide connection

What is our chemistry? Well it’s essentially the acid/ base physiology of our body; the pH balance of our blood. When we are in homeostasis (dynamic equilibrium) the pH of our blood is between 7.38 -7.45. In other words, in our natural balanced state, we are slightly alkaline. When we overbreathe we lose too much CO2. As the CO2 concentration falls, the blood becomes more alkaline, the pH shifts above 7.45 (Respiratory Alkalosis), and the bond that enables four oxygen molecules to attach to a haemoglobin molecule strengthens causing less oxygen to be released at the point of delivery to the cells. Low CO2 in the blood, called Hypocapnia, also causes vasoconstriction in smooth muscle, including blood vessels and bronchial tubes ( asthma), so not only is there less oxygen released from the blood, the vasoconstriction reduces blood flow. An accurate measure of arterial CO2 (PACO2) is found by monitoring our exhaled CO2 (ETCO2).

Assess your Breathing

The Nijmegen questionnaire enables a simple assessment of your breathing. The form examines somatic symptoms (also called medically unexplained symptoms) associated with overbreathing. The 16 questions are designed to identify overbreathing patterns by scoring a constellation of symptoms. The sensitivity of the Nijmegen Questionnaire in relation to the clinical diagnosis was 91% and the specificity 95%. Research has concluded that the questionnaire is suitable as a screening instrument for early detection of acute and chronic hyperventilation, and also as an aid in diagnosis and therapy planning.

Link to the Nijmegen questionnarie

The CapnoTrainer: A Breakthrough in Breathing Education

The CapnoTrainer is an educational instrument designed for enhancing wellbeing, health and performance through learning good respiration through restoring functional breathing. By measuring end tidal CO2 (ETCO2) levels and presenting this data as a ‘breathing wave’ on a computer screen, the CapnoTrainer enables you to ‘see’ your breathing.

Case study using the CapnoTrainer Breath rehabilitation restores balanced, functional breathing. End tidal CO2 (ETCO2) is the partial pressure of carbon dioxide in normal exhale. Normal ETCO2 (normal breathing) is 35mm hg; optimal ETCO2 (optimal breathing) = 40-45 mm hg.

Susan (name changed)

During the first session Susan discovered that she was overbreathing and severely hypocapnic with average ETCO2 levels below 30mm. (Graph 1) Symptoms Susan presented included tightness in the chest, anxiety, insomnia and poor concentration and focus. Breath Coaching techniques were used such as paced breathing and diaphragmatic relaxation. By the third session signs of breathing regulation were apparent, with ETCO2 rising to 40mm and a sense of relaxation and wellbeing. (Graph 2) The positive effects of restoring a balanced chemistry were explored and Susan learned to associated good chemistry with a decrease of symptoms. Susan was encouraged to observe her breathing when symptoms emerged. This self-discovery process lead her to an increasing ability to self–regulate her breathing and manage symptoms as they arose.