Hyperventilation can cause wicked cramping (hexbear.net)

submitted 14 hours ago by john_brown@hexbear.net to c/chapotraphouse@hexbear.net

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I got food poisoning and ended up going to the ER last night because I lost control of my upper body. Apparently hyperventilation (while puking my guts out) can reduce the amount of CO2 in your blood stream, making your blood mildly acidic. Before I went to the hospital I was laid out on the ground, unable to control my arms which were partially bent with my hands balled into tight painful fists. Thought I was dying.

So, pro tip, if you're ever hyperventilating and your upper body gets tingly and starts to cramp up, try your hardest to regulate your breath.

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[-] AlmightyDoorman@kbin.earth 13 points 13 hours ago

Hey, just some explanation. When you hyperventilate you breath out more CO2 than your body produces, this makes your blood more alkalic (increasing the PH, kinda makes sense, carbonated water with a lot of CO2 is more acidic). This changes protein structures, allowing more proteins to bind calcium, which reduces your amount of free calcium. This changes how fast your muscles react and leads to uncontrollable cramps.

[-] Red_Eclipse@hexbear.net 4 points 10 hours ago

omg is THAT what happens?? I've been wondering why every time I'm really freaking out, my hands start to get tingly and they get stuck in a certain position (for me it's more like a claw than a fist). Thanks for the explanation.

[-] JoeByeThen@hexbear.net 13 points 14 hours ago

Is that why they have you breath into bag when you hyperventilate? Or is that just a trope?🤔

[-] Lyudmila@hexbear.net 7 points 12 hours ago

Yes! That's exactly why, and it totally works! Try to regulate your breath, but use a bag to help preserve blood CO~2~ as you're doing so!

First aid Hexbear course when

[-] john_brown@hexbear.net 9 points 14 hours ago

That's a great question, I think you might be right

[-] AlmightyDoorman@kbin.earth 6 points 13 hours ago

They are right, breathing back into the back increases the CO2 you breath in (the same you just breathed out so around 4% instead of nearly 0% in the normal air. And reduces the effect of the hyperventilation.

[-] Diva@lemmy.ml 7 points 14 hours ago

I learned to do some Buteyko breathing techniques, which uses this principle as a way to help some chronic conditions.

My main takeaway was to focus on nasal breathing, controlled breathing patterns, and reducing over time the amount that you inhale unless necessary to operate.

[-] Lyudmila@hexbear.net 2 points 12 hours ago

Definitely helpful for asthma and may also be helpful for some forms of Sleep Apnea. Unfortunately there's lots of medical disinfo surrounding BBT for other conditions it couldn't possibly impact and highly exaggerated efficacy for the few conditions within the realm of being physically possible to effect.

People will really act like it's Hamon breathing and can cure anything... Nope, just helps reduce hyperventilation. Physically impossible for it to improve lung function or cure diabetes for example.

[-] Thordros@hexbear.net 3 points 12 hours ago

I did actually manifest a stando doing BBT, so maybe they're on to something.

[-] Diva@lemmy.ml 2 points 12 hours ago

Oh yeah, my experience is using it with asthma, particularly aggravated by exercise. Reducing hyperventilation actually helped reduced symptoms that persisted despite being otherwise well controlled on medication. Unfortunately you're right it did go trending at some point so there's all sorts of harmful bullshit out there.

[-] john_brown@hexbear.net 2 points 14 hours ago

Fascinating, thank you very much for the link. I'm going to practice this for sure!

[-] SorosFootSoldier@hexbear.net 6 points 14 hours ago

Jeez that sucks, sorry to hear that, glad you're okay though. What did you eat that got you sick?

[-] john_brown@hexbear.net 6 points 14 hours ago

Thanks! It was cold chengdu noodles from a place that does 95% of their business during the work week (I ate on Saturday)

[-] SorosFootSoldier@hexbear.net 5 points 14 hours ago

oof I'll use this as a mental note to be better about how I store food. Usually I'm pretty good but sometimes I catch myself eating stuff that's 4+ days old I had as leftovers.