hyperventilation?!

[baratron]

Now that was... not what I was expecting.

My doctor reckons that 90% of the symptoms I've been complaining about are due to something called hyperventilation occulta, or unseen hyperventilation. I am unconvinced. Exceedingly unconvinced. But reading about it on the web, it does seem to be a real thing.

I didn't think I hyperventilated, but apparently you're only supposed to breathe 12-14 times per minute. What? I normally breathe at least once per second. You mean that's not normal? I'm sitting here now trying to breathe only through my nose, and finding it really damned hard - I think normally I breathe through my nose and mouth together. I feel as though I'm not getting enough oxygen, and desperately wanting to open my mouth and gasp for breath, but apparently that's the worst thing I could do.

How am I supposed to learn to breathe a different way? (Semi-rhetorical question - one of the links above talks about a course for people with asthma to learn to stop hyperventilating). Huh.

Comments

[gerwinium.livejournal.com]

Hmm... I can't say I'm not surprised if it was breathing-related what you're having. I think I've had something similar before, gives rather strange thumping "headaches" above the eye and you feel like you're not really there, just walking through dreams most of the time. I've been seeing specialists for my asthma a few times and they tend to take the time to teach you how to breathe properly and they can also measure things like blood oxygen levels. Did you actually get referred for this? Because it would be useful if you could be by the sounds of it. I could recommend the specialist I've been seeing if it wasn't for that he's in a different country :). In any case, it'd be good if you would know what's going on since it's been ruining your life for quite a while.