Anxiety Attacks and Paper Bag
Why do people who suffer from an anxiety attack breathe inside a paper bag?
Anxiety Question:
Why do people who suffer from an anxiety attack breathe inside a paper bag?
Anxiety Answer:
Breathing into a paper bag is for hyperventilation, not anxiety attacks (Although they may occur together).
The point of breathing into a paper bag is that when you breathe too fast, you blow off too much CO2.
CO2 is the major chemical that tells the brain stem (pons and medulla) to initiate a breath.
Therefore, hyperventilation can actually STOP breathing. In addition, too little CO2 in the blood causes an increased pH measurement known as respiratory alkalosis, which is not a good situation.
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