schpoopy asked:
They always show people breathing into a bag in movies when they are having an anxiety attack. What could possibly be beneficial about that?
They always show people breathing into a bag in movies when they are having an anxiety attack. What could possibly be beneficial about that?
Flamingo of Knowledge says:
The increased carbon dioxide slows their heart rate a bit to calm them down.
July 27, 2009, 3:53 amrobin a says:
it helps regulate their breathing
July 30, 2009, 3:22 amSirchV says:
Caffeinated Content
They are hyperventilating. They are getting too much oxgen and by breathing in the bag you are recirculating the air you already breathed and getting less oxygen because you are exhaling mostly carbon dioxide into the bag.
August 2, 2009, 5:04 amdehaitest says:
Because you use up all the oxygen in the paper bag you only breathe in carbon dioxide, which can slow down heart rate
August 3, 2009, 10:05 amLeon. uk. London says:
because when you have a panic attack your body prepares for a fight or flight response due to the release of adrenalin so when the adrenalin is released your breaths become shorter & faster to get as much oxygen to the muscles as possible which usless used causes the person to feel dizzy so the paper bag evens up the amount of oxygen we take in through shallow breathing.
August 6, 2009, 4:21 amrustoria617 says:
Ppl having an anxiety attack hyperventilate, meaning they are breathing too fast. This causes too much carbon dioxide to be released from the blood and causes the blood to become alkaline. Breathing into a bag is a simple way to cause the person to inhale the carbon dioxide they are expelling thus rebalancing the blood gas ratios, and has a calming effect. If the person wasn’t treated, she would probably faint. This in itself would slow her breathing and rebalance the gases. But we don’t like for ppl to faint, thus the paper bag treatment.
August 11, 2009, 6:14 pm