If you suffer from anxiety, you must be aware of the symptoms. You may feel trembling or sweating as your mind experiences stress. Your heart can race or feel like it's about to burst from your chest. Because of anxiety, it can even be difficult to fall asleep or wake up during the night.
Anxiety can range from mild to incapacitating. While this condition comes with a myriad of symptoms, one of the most worrisome is its ability to disturb your normal breathing patterns. Read on to discover more about anxiety and your breathing.
Anxiety's Influence on Your Breathing
Your sympathetic nervous system is wired to react quickly to stress, such as fear and anxiety. These trigger a rapid hormonal and physical response—a system of self-defense—preparing you to flee or fight. In short, when you are anxious or irritated, your body responds chemically and physiologically.
Hyperventilation and the Nervous System
It is possible that you are using your diaphragm while you are calm or not concentrating on your breathing. However, as stress hormones cause adrenaline rushes, quicker heartbeats, elevated blood pressure, and shallower respiration, changes happen at dizzying speeds. You might miss that your lungs are changing or growing in size. This form of upper airway breathing can cause hyperventilation in non-strengthening situations.
Excessive Oxygen Causes Hyperventilation
Hyperventilation can make it seem like you are not getting enough air, but the reality is that you are actually over-breathing. Your body is consuming an abnormally large amount of oxygen and emitting an abnormally large amount of carbon dioxide. You're still out of breath, no matter how hard you try.
In this case, you must take quick, loud breaths. You may feel as though you are being choked, suffocated, or smothered. If you've ever had hyperventilation, you're already familiar with the symptoms of too much oxygen and carbon dioxide, such as dizziness, breathlessness, nausea, confusion, and tingling sensations in the lips, hands, or feet.
Excessive Air Could Be Harmful
Large yet rapid air intakes usually do more harm than good. As such, shortness of breath could be terrifying and may amplify your anxiety when you are unable to inhale enough air into your lungs. Certain people who are having a panic attack mistake it for a heart attack, resulting in heightened dread and breathing difficulties.
Calming of the Parasympathetic Nervous System
Anxiety can cause you to start breathing through your lips even if you are not hyperventilating. Mouth breathing is a common emergency response technique.
Increasing the activity of your parasympathetic nervous system helps to reduce the sympathetic reaction, heart rate, and difficulty breathing. The parasympathetic nervous system reaction lowers your heart rate, blood pressure, and muscular tension, as well as returning your breathing to a pre-alert, calm condition.
Relaxation Through Deliberate Nose Breathing
Excessive air intake through the mouth can help to restore a calm breathing pattern. Nasal inhalation activates the parasympathetic nervous system and sends a message to the brain to alter respiratory patterns. Then, your brain will suppress the alert if you gently breathe.
Your Natural Breathing Pattern
Inhale gently through your nose, then exhale naturally. Natural nasal breathing, which you should practice throughout the day, can help to quiet your body’s “alarms.” This action should help you regain your composure and can be used to help you relax during panic or anxiety episodes.
Conclusion
Anxiety, fear, and worry may make breathing difficult. Fortunately, you can reduce its respiratory effects by regulating your own physical and mental response. Relaxation, relief from worry, and improved breathing can all be obtained by inhaling via the nose.
Consider consulting a professional counselor or therapist if you need additional help ending the anxiety loop. Professional counseling is one of the most effective methods for dealing with an anxiety illness.
Hope Seed Support Center counseling center in Houston Offers counseling services to treat depression, anxiety, grief, sadness, and suicidal thoughts. If you need assistance, we are glad to help you achieve balanced mental health. Give us a call to find out more!
