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Echidnae t1_j2da2qp wrote

Reply to comment by Somhlth in TIL breathing into a paper bag to ease anxiety attacks is a real thing, with science to back it up, and not just something seen on TV/Movies. by OneSideDone

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

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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.

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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.

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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

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tylizard t1_j2eyl4y wrote

"lot more important" is probably the wrong way to put that both are essential to life.

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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.

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