A hyperventilation attack occurs when someone has short rapid breathing. Anxiety, severe stomach pains, heart or lung disease or extensive physical injuries can bring it on. The symptoms usually last from 15 to 30 minutes and can seem worse than they actually are, as hyperventilation is not usually dangerous.

Action Plan

If you are experiencing a hyperventilation attack it is possible to help yourself by following these 5 steps:

1. Loosely cover your nose and mouth with a small paper bag.
2. Breathe slowly into the bag and rebreath the air in the bag about 10 times.
3. Set the bag aside and breathe normally for a couple of minutes.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until the symptoms lesson or go away.
5. Try to breathe slowly. Focus on taking a breath every 5 seconds.

If you are trying to help someone else who is hyperventilating it is important to remain calm. Make direct eye contact with the person and speak to them clearly and slowly, making calming gestures. Identify yourself to the person and ask them to sit down, allowing them some space so they don’t feel crowded. Then sit with them at eye level, and giving them short clear instructions, talk them through the breathing cycle, whilst breathing with them:

1. Inhale, take in a long slow deep breath.
2. Hold breath for 3 seconds.
3. Exhale slowly by puckering your lips.

Tell them to relax in a calm voice just before they reach the end of exhalation and then start a new breathing cycle reassuring them as to how well they are doing. You should continue to do this until the symptoms lessen or go away.<