What is hyperventilation?
When we think of hyperventilation we tend to associate it with the feeling of not being able to breathe and not getting enough air or oxygen.
But it’s the opposite. Where "hypo" means under or low, “hyper" means over or high. It relates to too much of something. As in hypermobile (overly flexible joints), hyperglycaemic (too much sugar in the blood), hyperactive (think excessively restless children), and so on.
Hyperventilation is what you see when someone is having a panic attack. The panting, gulping of air, and reaching for a brown paper bag.
But hyperventilation doesn’t always come in such an extreme format.
Hyperventilation simply means over-breathing. And the vast majority of the population over-breathe in one form or another.
Exactly as it sounds, over-breathing is breathing more than is necessary to meet the body’s needs. To over-breathe is a normal reaction to stress.
Those who breathe through their mouth rather than their nose take in many more litres of air per minute (and at a much lower efficiency). Others might have a breath rate (number of breaths taken per minute) well above what is considered functional or necessary – again leading to an elevated volume of air being taken in every minute.
Studies estimate that about 9.5% of adults in the UK experience symptoms related to dysfunctional breathing or chronic over-breathing.
The prevalence is significantly higher in certain groups, such as those with asthma, where it can affect roughly 29% of adults. Patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) or "long COVID" may see rates as high as 30–50%.
Common Indicators of Over-Breathing:
Breathing through your mouth rather than the nose.
Frequent sighing or yawning
Breathing >15 times per minute.
Visible upper chest movement rather than slow, deep belly breathing.
Noisy or irregular breathing
Difficulty co-ordinating breathing and talking and/or eating
Feeling breathless when anxious or upset
Occasional heart palpitations (fast heartbeat)
Feeling more tired than you should
Why is over-breathing bad?
Chronic hyperventilation is a form of dysfunctional breathing—taking in more air than the body requires—which often goes unnoticed and differs from acute panic-induced attacks. Symptoms include waves of chest tightness, dizziness, air hunger, and tingling in the fingers.
Even those who don’t suffer noticeable symptoms will be breathing more inefficiently, which can have knock on effects on sleep, concentration, low-level anxiety, sporting performance and recovery.
Because chronic hyperventilation symptoms are often misinterpreted as other illnesses (or written off as being a mystery), many cases of dysfunctional breathing go undiagnosed or under-recognized, suggesting that above 9.5% would be a low estimate.
Negative effects of breathing too much:
Reduced oxygen delivery: Contrary to common belief, breathing more air does not mean more oxygen for the body. We need a certain level of CO2 in our blood to release oxygen from haemoglobin into cells. When over-breathing lowers levels, oxygen stays bound to the blood, starving tissues of oxygen. This is called The Bohr Effect.
Reduced Blood Flow: CO2 is also responsible for relaxing smooth muscle in blood vessel walls. Therefore, in line with the point above, lower levels of CO2 lead to the constriction of blood vessels, reducing blood flow to the brain and body. Google what happens to the brain when someone has a panic attack – it’s essentially starved!
Digestion and stomach issues: CO2’s impact on relaxing smooth muscle can also be felt in the gut and digestive area. Ever notice how if you’re feeling anxious or stressed there’s additional side effects stomach-wise? (There’s also a whole lot around breathing and the gut-brain axis, which we will return to another time).
Physical symptoms: Over-breathing can cause dizziness, faintness, confusion, blurred vision, numbness/tingling in hands and feet, and tight muscles. Luckily this is usually short-lived and triggered by a particular situation or stimuli, but some people can have it chronically at a low-level until they address their breathing.
Panic or distress: Depending on how severe one’s over-breathing is, it can often create a feeling of breathlessness or an inability to catch one's breath, leading to increased anxiety and panic. This cycle continues until there is some sort of intervention.
Longer term: Chronic over-breathing can lead to constant tiredness, chronic fatigue, indigestion, and anxiety.
When to intervene and do something about it:
Over breathing is like an injury or any other health issue. It’s better to start taking steps early to prevent it escalating and manifesting in anxiety or panic, asthma, faintness, inability to focus, or anything else.
Addressing dysfunctional breathing is easy and can be done at any time during the day. Once you’ve learned some steps and exercises, you can wheel them out during times of stress or as a proactive, maintenance approach.
Where to begin:
Practice slow, deep diaphragmatic (belly) breathing through the nose with the aim of restoring the correct CO2 balance and lowering your breathing rate.
It takes time and practice to change a habit but anyone can do it.
If you want to discuss a personalised programme or do a one-off session to get you started, get in touch via the contact page.