Breathing into a paper bag has become a sign of hyperventilation and anxiety attacks. It's used to help you control your breathing. This technique is effective during an anxiety disorder and a panic attack because it can help to manage hyperventilation.
Hyperventilation or "overbreathing" occurs when you have quick or shallow breathing. People with an anxiety or panic attack often hyperventilate. You exhale so much air while you hyperventilate. This can reduce the amount of carbon dioxide ( CO2) you have in your blood.
Isn't less carbon dioxide good for you, though? Currently, having extremely low levels of carbon dioxide in your blood creates an imbalance in your body. Low carbon dioxide also contributes to low levels of oxygen. This will lower the supply of blood and oxygen to your brain.
Symptoms of low levels of CO2
Low carbon dioxide in your blood triggers many of the signs you have when you are hyperventilated, such as:
Breath shortness
Light-headedness
Rapid heart rate
Numbness or tingling of the hands, face, and other areas
The Chest muscles are aching
Fainting
Why does it help to breathe in a paper bag?
Breathing in a paper bag is a strategy that will help you control hyperventilation. It works by putting some of the carbon dioxide lost back into the lungs and body. This helps to regulate the supply of oxygen in your body.
However, breathing in a paper bag must be done properly and it can not work for everybody. Medical literature on how to use it to help hyperventilation is divided on whether it actually works.
Some case reports do not recommend the use of this breathing strategy.
Other medical review studies have shown that breathing in a paper bag can help some patients with hyperventilation.
How to do it
Use a paper bag to enable you breathe when you're hyperventilating, follow the steps:
Hold a tiny paper bag (the kind used for lunch) over your mouth and nose.
Take between 6 and 12 normal breaths.
Remove the bag from your nose and mouth.
Take a couple of breaths.
Repeat it as needed.
Do's, and don't
Don't breathe over 12 breaths in a paper bag.
After 12 breaths, remove the paper bag from your mouth and nose.
Keep your own paper bag for breathing. If someone else keeps it for you, they might not know when you took up to 12 breaths.
Does it have to be a paper bag?
Yes. Always use a small bag of paper when doing it, not a plastic one. A plastic bag doesn't operate the same way, and it can be risky. When you breathe in, thin plastic could get sucked into your mouth. This can be especially dangerous for younger children and older adults.
Disadvantages
The paper bag strategy will not help with an asthma attack and could make it worse, because you may not have enough oxygen in your body. If you have any heart or lung problems, do not use this breathing procedure.
Even, if you're at a high elevation, breathing can be more difficult than normal. Breathing in a paper bag would not aid with changes in breathing. Using the bag method only if you're sure you're having an anxiety attack. Other causes of hyperventilation include an asthma attack, fever, or other illnesses.
You may have other signs of anxiety, such as:
Breath shortness
Feeling as if you're choking
A heart pounding or racing
Heart palpitations (feeling the heart stops or loses a beat)
Dizziness
Nausea
Sweating
Racing Thinking
Feeling like you are losing control
Thinking that you might die
Aggressiveness
Other tips to calm you down
Some remedies to help you calm down during an anxiety attack or while you are hyperventilating include:
Deep belly breathing
Sitting down on a couch, a bed or a floor.
Place your head between your knees
Breathing from your pocketed mouth, like you're whistling
Breathing in and enjoying the essential oil or the scent you want.
Keep your breath for 10 to 15 seconds
Slowly breathing into your own hands.
Breathing from alternate nostrils (holding one nostril closed at a time)
Inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth
Jogging or walking briskly while breathing through your nose and exhaling through your mouth.
When to refer to a doctor
Contact your health care provider or mental health professional if you have signs of an anxiety or hyperventilation sometimes.
Get emergency medical aid if you:
Hyperventilate for more than 30 minutes
Think you're going to faint or lose consciousness
Don't feel any better when trying home remedies during an anxiety or panic attack.
Experience serious or recurrent symptoms
The bottom line
Breathing in a paper bag can help you breathe better while in an anxiety or panic attack. This breathing method helps some people to control hyperventilation. It may not, however, work for everyone.
You may have hyperventilation for a number of reasons, including some health conditions. Other medical treatments may be needed, including oxygen therapy and medication.
Call emergency hotline if you hyperventilate for longer than 30 minutes or begin to lose consciousness. You may need urgent medical care.