1. Community
  2. Mental health
  3. Anxiety Disorders

Am I hyperventilating?

Posted , 2 users are following.

dip58448
dip58448

Hi all,

I've been having trouble breathing for 1.5 months now. It takes me a LOT of effort to inhale. My doc did some tests, and thinks it's anxiety.

At the end of exhale, I get some weird sensations. As I am finishing my exhale, I get slight sudden headache, head heaviness, lightheadedness and shortness of breath/air hunger. These symptoms are really bothering me, and I don't know what to do.

I think I've got this feeling before when I blow up balloons. Could this be hyperventilation? I measured my breathing rate, and I breathe 9-10 breaths per minute, which is low-normal. So how can I be hyperventilating when I'm not breathing fast at all? I'm also doing belly breathing. Also, I have no specific current stress in my life.

This is all so confusing. Anyone else get this headachy, heavy headed, lightheaded, air hunger feeling at end of the exhale??

0 likes, 1 reply

1 Reply

  • jan34534
    jan34534 dip58448

    Posted

    since you have a low respiratory rate you may be holding in too much carbon dioxide which could be causing the lightheadedness. Practice mindfulness breathing exercises found on YouTube. They show you the proper way to breathe so that there is the proper exchange between oxygen and carbon dioxide and you will feel comfortable . people who are anxious tend to breathe very shallow which doesn’t allow for enough oxygenation in the lungs. It’s good to practice correct breathing. Take care

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.