Hyperventilation

Hyperventilation is deep or rapid breathing that can be caused by panic or anxiety.
Signs and symptoms

Symptoms:

  • Light-headedness

  • Shortness of breath

  • Feeling of not getting enough air in

  • Chest discomfort

  • Feeling of panic, impending doom

  • Rapid breathing and palpitations

  • Blurred vision

  • Tingling in the lips, fingers and toes

  • Palpitations

  • Severe anxiety

  • Feeling of detachment and not in full control (depersonalisation)

Signs:

  • Rapid breathing, occasional deep breath, sighing breathing

  • Rapid pulse

  • Altered level of consciousness

  • Hand and finger spasms (fingers and wrists become claw-like, the thumb held stiffly across the palm)

First aid

  • Be assertive provide calm reassurance, help them regain composure

  • Instruct them to only breathe in and out through their nose slowly. This is difficult and makes the casualty concentrate on something else

  • Continue assertive instructions until the casualty slows their breathing or reduces the amount of anxiety and reaction to the incident

Meirav Dulberg