Hyperventilation
Unemployment, work stress, illness, grief, fear, chronic pain, new baby, new job, poverty and all other challanges are constantly stressing our body. Repetitive stress trigger our body to breathe faster due to the emergency response. This is called Hyperventilation. Hyperventilation trigger anxiety which trigger more hyperventilation and all type of degenerative diseases (anxiety, depression, asthma, hypertension, hypothyroidism, gastritis, diabetes and others). Famous Ukranian Doctor Buteyko said : « Hyperventilation is the cause of all diseases of today ».
Hyperventilation decrease your concentration of CO2, a crucial element for protecting our nerves, tissues, muscles etc… In the book Breathe To Heal, Dr. Buteyko explains : « A CO2 deficiency in the nerve cells excites all of the structures in the nervous system, thus making the process of breathing even more intense. As a result, oxygen starvation in nerve cells, in combination with metabolic malfunctions and an over-excited nervous system, brings about mental disorders, destroys the nervous system, and finally causes a deterioration of an individual’s physical and mental health. Disorders brought about by hyperventilation are aggraveted by factors such as environmental pollution, pesticides, and other chemicals that are found in nutritional products ».
How to stop ?
Several scientists are now exploring applications to help with hyperventilation. In 2017, Marc and all, published a scientific paper where they describe the benefits of slow breathing exercices. In the abstract we can read :
« Slow breathing practices have been adopted in the modern world across the globe due to their claimed health benefits. This has piqued the interest of researchers and clinicians who have initiated investigations into the physiological (and psychological) effects of slow breathing techniques and attempted to uncover the underlying mechanisms. The aim of this article is to provide a comprehensive overview of normal respiratory physiology and the documented physiological effects of slow breathing techniques according to research in healthy humans. The review focuses on the physiological implications to the respiratory, cardiovascular, cardiorespiratory and autonomic nervous systems, with particular focus on diaphragm activity, ventilation efficiency, haemodynamics, heart rate variability, cardiorespiratory coupling, respiratory sinus arrhythmia and sympathovagal balance ».
Our application is developped in order to reproduce exercices that will help your body come back to slow breathing, thus increasing CO2 and its protectives effects. Increasing CO2 and stop hyperventilation will help with anxiety, depression and all type of degenerative issue. It will also increase the quality of sleep which will have a direct impact on your regeneration and stabilize nervous system.
CO2 and Obesity
Improve your way of breathing will also reduce fat and obesity. The Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine published a paper where we can read : « Carboxytherapy could potentially be a new and effective means of fat reduction ».
The Application
The application is simple to use and contains free levels in order to help people that can’t afford taking full levels.
According to numerous studies, healthy people have slow breathing (around 6 per minute). In the preview document for exemple we can read : Slow respiration at 6 breaths per min was found to be optimal for improving alveolar ventilation and reducing dead space in both groups in terms of increased arterial oxygen saturation and ease and sustainability in terms of respiratory effort. Many other studies exist about that, and also several traditional rituals such as old Chinese Taichi where the main goal was to control your breath in order to feel well.
The application provides large scale of level depending on your initial situation. If you are high hyperventilating and really anxious begin with low level (12 breaths per minute) and train with that until you feel confident. Then switch to the next level (11 breaths per minute) and continue this process until you reach slow breathing levels (6/7/8 breaths per minute). If your initial level is higher feel free to adapt yourself and train until you can slow your breathe again.
Sleeping Mode
Anxiety is often characterized by over-stimulation of nervous system which can trigger panic attack caused mainly by hyperventilation. Dr. Andrew Weil has developed on the same principle a very helpful breathing technique to fall asleep and reduce stress at night : The 4 7 8 !
The 4-7-8 breathing technique is a breathing pattern developed by Dr. Andrew Weil. It’s based on an ancient yogic technique called pranayama, which helps practitioners gain control over their breathing. The 4-7-8 technique forces the mind and body to focus on regulating the breath, rather than replaying your worries when you lie down at night. Proponents claim it can soothe a racing heart or calm frazzled nerves. Dr. Weil has even described it as a « natural tranquilizer for the nervous system« . The method is simple : Breath in 4 seconds, Hold breath 7 seconds, Exhale 8 seconds until you free your mind, relax and sleep.
References
Panic, hyperventilation and perpetuation of anxiety
Anxiety, depression and hyperventilation symptoms in treatment-resistant severe asthma
Hyperventilation and asymptomatic chronic asthma
Hyperventilation as a fundamental stimulator of pathological processes
Fiziol Zh Im I M Sechenova 1995 Feb;81(2):47-52. [The unknown physiological role of carbon dioxide]. Baev VI, Vasil’eva IV, L’vov SN, Shugalei IV [The data suggests that carbon dioxide is a natural element of the organism antioxidant defence system. ion poisoning].
Acta Neurobiol Exp (Wars). 2007;67(2):197-206. Role of hypercapnia in brain oxygenation in sleep-disordered breathing. Brzecka A. Adaptive mechanisms may diminish the detrimental effects of recurrent nocturnal hypoxia in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The potential role of elevated carbon dioxide (CO2) in improving brain oxygenation in the patients with severe OSA syndrome is discussed.
Ter Arkh. 1995;67(3):23-6. [Changes in the sensitivity of leukocytes to the inhibiting effect of CO2 on their generation of active forms of oxygen in bronchial asthma patients] Daniliak IG, Kogan AKh, Sumarokov AV, Bolevich S.
J Bioenerg Biomembr. 2009 Jun;41(3):309-21. Epub 2009 Jul 25. Effect of methionine dietary supplementation on mitochondrial oxygen radical generation and oxidative DNA damage in rat liver and heart. Gomez J, Caro P, Sanchez I, Naudi A, Jove M, Portero-Otin M, Lopez-Torres M, Pamplona R, Barja G.
Vopr Med Khim. 1996 Jul-Sep;42(3):193-202. [Ability of carbon dioxide to inhibit generation of superoxide anion radical in cells and its biomedical role] Kogan AKh, Grachev SV, Eliseeva SV, Bolevich S.
Pediatr Res 1997 Jul;42(1):24-29. Effect of carbon dioxide on cerebral metabolism during hypoxia-ischemia in the immature rat. Vannucci RC, Brucklacher RM, Vannucci SJ
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