Somhlth t1_j2cgxm3 wrote
It's called hyperventilating, a symptom of which is that you breath rapidly and as a result, your body eliminates more carbon dioxide than it can produce. Breathing into a bag, where you exhale carbon dioxide, can somewhat ease this process as you inhale back a greater percentage of carbon dioxide than you would without the bag.
Echidnae t1_j2da2qp wrote
Why is it bad for us to eliminate too much CO2 ? I thought carbon dioxide was just a residue that we would want to eliminate
xXZoulocKXx t1_j2dbec3 wrote
CO2 is also called carbonic acid. Breathing out too much of it changes the PH of the blood, and can cause dizziness.
DMRexy t1_j2dvmoy wrote
CO2 isn't called carbonic acid. Carbonic acid is H2CO3. So, CO2 + H2O. CO2 combines with the water in your blood to produce it.
xXZoulocKXx t1_j2dw95o wrote
Ah, thanks. TIL.
DMRexy t1_j2edctd wrote
💜
silvesterdepony t1_j2eohc3 wrote
CO2 isn't just a waste product, it has a very important purpose of managing pH of our blood - something that is actually a lot more important for our body than O2 levels (we have a much greater tolerance for O2 changes than CO2)
The body is about balance (homeostasis) in basically everything
tylizard t1_j2eyl4y wrote
"lot more important" is probably the wrong way to put that both are essential to life.
silvesterdepony t1_j2f0988 wrote
There are a ton of things that are essential to life, but we can still create a hierarchy of importance based on various criteria such as tolerance to disruption of homeostasis.
We have very little tolerance for the disruption of CO2 homeostasis before our brain freaks out.
WCRugger t1_j2di74h wrote
Also helps slow your breathing that helps retain CO2. There's a technique called square breathing where to exhale for 5 secs. Hold for 5. Inhale for 5 before holding ng again. The bag makes for a good physical representation.
Kolada t1_j2dxlu6 wrote
Alright so I was told that this is incorrect (or at least only partially correct). I was told the main reason you breath into a bag during a panic attack is to make it easier to focus on your breathing. You can see the breath go in and out so you can pace and make sure you're not forgetting to exhale (which is a common reason why people feel like they can't breath during panic).
Somhlth t1_j2dyb8c wrote
It can be both.
> Breathing into a paper bag is a technique that can help you regulate hyperventilation. It works by putting some of the lost carbon dioxide back into your lungs and body. This helps to balance oxygen flow in your body.
>However, breathing into a paper bag must be done properly and may not work for everyone. Medical research on using it to help hyperventilation is divided on whether it really works.
>Some case studies don’t recommend using this breathing technique.
>Other medical review studies find that breathing into a paper bag can help some patients with hyperventilation.
https://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety/breathing-into-a-paper-bag
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