How to breathe during panic attacks, videos, breathing techniques

If you need to quickly stop a panic attack, use simple but effective calming breathing. Just do it correctly so that breathing really helps cope with PA.

I have already written about calming breathing here and here. It is based on diaphragmatic breathing. But with some difference.

If when training normal diaphragmatic breathing (belly breathing) you pause while inhaling, then during an attack of PA you need to pause while exhaling. The breathing pattern is as follows:

Short active inhalation – Long relaxed exhalation – Pause

The inhalation and pause are approximately equal in time, but the exhalation should be 2–3 times longer.

Many of my readers and clients write that they are unable to calm their breathing, or that it does not help them cope with PA. And all because they do not fulfill a number of important conditions in order for this breathing to really work.

Levels of panic attacks

Sudden fear, paralyzing the brain's ability to resist and excluding the possibility of action, has three levels of depth:

Psychological. Fear arises for no reason and creates the impression of external influence, “guidance.” Additional horror comes from the infernal nature of his appearance.
Reactive physical attacks. The heart is felt first, tachycardia and other forms of arrhythmia begin. Possible muscle stiffness, fever, sudden sweating, severe trembling. A person begins to fear not fear, but heart disease, not realizing that this is not an independent symptom, but one of the levels of attack.
After the intensity of the symptoms decreases and the attack goes away, the person is left with horror that it occurred and the fear of recurrence. Unexplained states of depersonalization may occur.

In addition to prolonged nervous tension and mental characteristics, another cause of attacks is biochemical. An excess of adrenaline is created in the blood due to damage to nerve tissue. At the center of any attack is repressed emotion. Therefore, along with complex therapy, immediate interception and relief of this emotion will reduce the severity of the crisis. Attacks occur in two situations: at night, while thinking about the future day, or during the day, before performing an important task.

Is it possible to treat panic attacks at home? In addition to mandatory contact with a neurologist, complex therapy will be required, including:

removing crises when they occur;
calming the nervous system, creating sustainable relaxation skills;
fixing the result.

To implement the first and second points, breathing techniques during panic attacks will become a central component. They will prevent recurrence of attacks and help quickly relieve acute symptoms when they occur. At the moment of attack, a consistent combination of two breathing practices will help:

correct breathing;
breathing exercises for panic attacks.

At night they will help you regain sleep, during the day they will help you gain control of yourself and begin to carry out your intended task.

The harm of improper breathing

The brain controls breathing vegetatively, that is, under normal conditions a person does not think about inhaling or exhaling. However, there are often people with ANS disorders who try to practice all kinds of breathing exercises, but without success.

People are accustomed to the fact that deep and frequent breathing is beneficial. However, this statement is not entirely true.

The reason is a violation of the basic rules of breathing exercises. Let us remember that the composition of the air that enters the human body includes oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen - the “ballast” component.

When O2 enters the lungs, it immediately enters the blood and is distributed to organs and tissues.
But hyperventilation (deep and frequent breathing) helps to “wash out” carbon dioxide from the blood plasma and intercellular fluid, which is also used by the body to maintain the normal functioning of the circulatory, nervous and other systems.

Therefore, it is important to breathe correctly.

The main symptoms of respiratory distress that accompany people with VSD:

feeling of discomfort in the chest;
“lump” in the esophagus;
feeling of a sharp lack of air.

Auxiliary signs:

headache;
fluctuations in blood pressure;
sleep rhythm disorders;
emotional lability;
arrhythmias, discomfort in the heart area.

By stabilizing breathing and regular exercise, the condition is normalized and the main symptoms of VSD are eliminated.

An incorrectly performed complex can provoke an attack of the disease and worsen the general condition. Negative signs of violation of the rules of breathing exercises are presented:

insufficient oxygen supply;
inability to take a full breath;
feeling of a lump in the throat;
compression in the chest area.

Relative signs of improper breathing are presented:

painful sensations in the chest area;
sudden dizziness;
semi-fainting and short-term loss of consciousness;
arrhythmic contractions of the heart muscle;
accelerated heartbeat - tachycardia;
night sleep disturbances;
problems in the psycho-emotional sphere;
deterioration of the blood circulation process in the body.

Correct breathing

The onset of a crisis often does not allow a person to concentrate on his actions and move on to special exercises. You should start your exit with deep and measured breathing, it will help you regain self-control. Breathing algorithm:

Sit upright, straighten your back, if you have practice - in the lotus or half-lotus position.
Take a deep breath and release internal tension as you exhale.
Concentrate on the back of the nose, on the cold when inhaling and on the heat when exhaling.
After 10–15 deep and conscious exhalations, you can move on to the exercise - diaphragmatic breathing.

Proper breathing will not only relieve periodic crises, but also, with regular use, will help you cope with shortness of breath, sudden strong heartbeat, and shortness of breath. When performing exercises, it is necessary to associate them with positive memories, achieving the creation of a stable relaxation complex at the physiological and emotional levels.

To consolidate success, you will need to use physical therapy, acupuncture has been successfully used: active points during panic attacks are located on the ears. Therefore, even a simple self-massage of the ears will help to record relaxation.

How to learn to breathe correctly during VSD

You can overcome shortness of breath that occurs with vascular dystonia by mastering proper breathing techniques.

To do this you need to follow these tips:

Diaphragmatic breathing is carried out when not only the chest, but also the front wall of the abdomen takes part in inhalation. This process occurs as follows: the lungs expand, after which the chest expands. The last thing to do is raise the abdomen. Exhalation should involve the reverse order of these actions.
Inhalation is carried out through the nose. This is very important because the air is not only purified by passing through the nostrils, but also moistened, becoming warmer. This helps to relax the respiratory system.
Squats will help normalize breathing. While inhaling, the legs bend at the knees and the body lowers, and when straightening, you need to inhale.

Breathing exercises for panic attacks, anxiety and sleep disorders

After relaxing with deep breathing, one of two practices is used:

Diaphragmatic breathing during panic attacks.
Breathing into a bag during panic attacks. It can be replaced by breathing into folded hands or the collar of clothing. This helps control every inhalation and exhalation and restore the balance of carbon dioxide.

Diaphragmatic breathing is performed according to the following algorithm:

After relaxing in the process of proper breathing, move on to breathing through the diaphragm.
Place your hand on your stomach to control the movements of the diaphragm.
Inhale for 3-4 counts.
Hold your breath for 1-2 counts.
Exhale slowly through your mouth for 5-6 counts.
Focus on relaxing your body, leaving your thoughts alone.
Repeat for 10-15 minutes.

If it is difficult to follow the suggested pace, you can inhale and exhale without delay for 5 counts, but when exhaling, count twice as slowly. The exercise can be done not only at home. If a crisis occurs on the street, in transport, in a supermarket, you need to step aside, sit down on any bench in a secluded place and start practicing.

Breathing exercises during panic attacks during VSD (vegetative-vascular dystonia) will help prevent symptoms such as darkening of the eyes, dizziness, and fainting. It is indicated for regular use.

You don’t have to limit yourself to the diaphragmatic technique. Everyone can choose an individual complex based on the practices of Qigong, yoga (Pranayama breathing) or Strelnikova gymnastics.

Why does breathing become difficult during PA?

Controlling a panic attack is difficult. If a fair amount of adrenaline enters the bloodstream, until it dissolves, the body will react. Whether you like it or not, you will have to live through it. And when the attack begins, the unfortunate person focuses on anything but his breathing. What worries a person much more is the heart, the feeling of fear of death, and the general terrible state. The funny thing is that many people are afraid of suffocating from a panic attack, but cannot take control of their breathing.

Problems with breathing during PA occur because at such moments the patient begins to breathe frequently and shallowly. Normally, carbon dioxide and oxygen in the blood should be in a ratio of 3:1. Then the body and brain feel comfortable and relaxed.

With “panic breathing,” the proportions of oxygen and carbon dioxide become almost equal. The body begins to send alarm signals, further intensifying the panic attack. It turns out to be a vicious circle - breathing becomes difficult due to PA, but PA intensifies due to improper breathing.

It is important to know!

The more intensely you breathe (the hyperventilation effect), the hungrier you become, as deep and rhythmic breathing stimulates the production of gastric juice as well as cellular metabolism.

Instead of using volitional efforts to begin to breathe more slowly and deeply, thereby increasing the level of carbon dioxide in the blood, the VSD person begins to swallow air even more intensely with his open mouth, rushing around the apartment and trying to open all the windows wide.

The role of carbon dioxide in our body is enormous. It carries out the following processes:

stimulates the breathing center in the brain;
regulates the pH of blood and body cells;
participates in the formation of necessary amino acids;
regulates the functioning of the central nervous system;
regulates metabolic processes;
dilates blood vessels;
stabilizes motor functions;
Helps release essential enzymes.

By the way, conscious, correct breathing can very quickly stop a panic attack, relieve tension, reduce anxiety and fear. A person who controls his breathing has high psycho-emotional stability and is much less likely to succumb to anxiety and fear. One of the most powerful practices for harmonizing the soul of the body, yoga, places primary emphasis on breathing. Many spiritual practices tell us that through breathing we receive vital energy. And the more correctly a person breathes, the more mental and physical strength he has.

There are many recommendations and tips on how to breathe correctly during panic attacks. But we are all individuals and you should try different techniques to find the ones that suit you.

Interesting facts about breathing:

Fact 1

Breathing through the nose has 4 stages of filtration. When breathing through the mouth, we immediately move to the 4th stage, which can easily lead to a sore throat, tonsillitis and even ear diseases.

Fatk 2

We obtain the nitrogen necessary for the construction of cells not only from food, but also from the air. Certain microbes and bacteria living in our body produce from atmospheric nitrogen the same amino acids that we get from food and from which new cells are then built. Thus, when we breathe, we also reinforce ourselves.

Fact 3

The right lung is larger and consists of three lobes, while the left lung is smaller and consists of two lobes. Sometimes one lung is removed due to illness; people who live with one right lung find it a little easier to breathe than those who have one left lung.

Buteyko technique

Very often, patients with vegetative-vascular disorders are prescribed gymnastic exercises using the Buteyko method.

This is a very simple set of exercises for VSD; it should be performed on an empty stomach, three times a day.

You need to sit with a straight back, with your knees slightly bent, keeping your stomach and diaphragm relaxed.

First, a control sample is taken to determine the level of carbon dioxide in the body. To do this, you need to breathe evenly and calmly for a while, then hold your breath for 15 seconds. If there is a lot of carbon dioxide, then the delay will pass quite easily.

Then a weak, light breath is taken through the nose, while the stomach remains relaxed. Inhale for two seconds and exhale more slowly for 4 seconds. You need to breathe like this for at least 5 minutes. Then perform a control test again and repeat the procedure 2-3 more times. In total it takes no more than 15-20 minutes.

For patients with VSD, it may be difficult to perform this exercise, since at first it can be difficult to ensure that the chest and abdomen remain motionless. But the result justifies the difficulties in mastering it: after just a few days, sleep normalizes, suffocation disappears, a runny nose goes away almost immediately, and after a month shortness of breath disappears.

However, this method is not particularly effective for patients who have mixed type vascular dystonia: panic attacks do not go away, and may even become more frequent. Therefore, it is necessary to combine gymnastics with eliminating the psychological causes of PA.

Breathing exercises according to Buteyko improves the condition of VSD, rhinitis, bronchitis and even bronchial asthma.

The main idea of the Buteyko technique is to correct the level of carbon dioxide in the blood to stabilize the functioning of the respiratory center. The second name for gymnastics is “life on exhalation.”

The traditional exercise consists of several stages:

Sit up straight and relax.
Take a small breath, and hold your breath halfway through the exhalation. The duration of the pause is 15-20 seconds.
Inhale smoothly through your nose so that your chest and stomach are not involved but remain relaxed. The work of the lungs is as superficial as possible.
Then breathe for 2 seconds per inhalation and 4 seconds per exhalation with a similar pause.

For beginners, we do not recommend taking a break between basic movements. The duration of the workout is 5 minutes.

Why do you need breathing exercises?

Performing a set of breathing exercises for VSD is necessary to solve several problems:

Stabilization of heart function;
Restoring the rhythm of breathing;
Suppressing anxiety and fear;
Normalization of blood pressure;
Blood oxygen saturation;
Stopping dizziness;
Increasing the tone and endurance of the body.

Classes do not have to be carried out only during a panic attack. During the interictal period, they have a preventive value and make the nervous system more resistant to stress.

Tibetan gymnastics

This set of exercises helps normalize breathing, stop an attack of suffocation, and calm the nerves during VSD. At the beginning of performing gymnastics, you may experience slight dizziness, which quickly passes.

First exercise: I.p. sitting on the floor with legs crossed, back straight. Close your right nostril with your thumb and inhale. Hold your breath for 16 seconds. Exhale freely through your mouth. Repeat the exercise on the left side. One approach – 4 exercises for each nostril.

The second exercise of Tibetan gymnastics for breathing: I.p. the same, but the hands are on the knees. Inhale through your nose, throwing your head back. As you exhale, press your chin to your chest. Perform 7 repetitions.

Third exercise: I.p. standing, arms along the body. Take a deep breath, raising your hands and cupping them back to back. Stretch upward, holding your breath. After exhaling some of the air, spread your arms 120 degrees. Then, on a full exhalation, return to I. p.

Exercising with VSD: another way to saturate the blood with oxygen

Complete refusal of physical activity during VSD is a direct path to worsening the condition. Professional sports are not recommended for patients with VSD, but general strengthening exercises and light gymnastics are necessary. They help fight stress, normalize blood circulation, and increase endurance. In combination with breathing exercises, some sports help to achieve significant progress in the treatment of VSD.

Patients with VSD are recommended:

Swimming in the pool. Water helps relax muscles, relieve stress, improve ventilation and breathing quality, as well as improve posture and reduce back pain - especially for those who are in one position most of the day. Also, water gymnastics – a set of exercises in water – won’t hurt.
Pilates. A set of exercises that improves oxygen saturation of the lungs, helps strengthen the body, get rid of muscle tension and chronic pain.
Yoga. Ancient gymnastics helps improve muscle elasticity and flexibility, relieves tension during VSD, improves concentration, and promotes deep relaxation.
Cycling helps develop coordination and increases the ability to concentrate.
A complex of general strengthening gymnastics.

Also, for VSD, walking and moderate running in the fresh air are recommended.

Breathing and dystonia

The sensations with vegetative-vascular dystonia are not the best. An attack of this disease occurs due to anxiety, stress, and physical exertion. One of the unpleasant sensations is difficulty breathing, a need for air, perhaps even asthma-like suffocation, accompanied by rapid, shallow breathing. The surrounding world may also be spinning, the anxious emotional state is aggravated by the fear of losing consciousness from possible suffocation.

Modern medicine speaks of the psychological origin of these problems. The patients do not have asthma or dystonia; it is a neurosis based on a panicky fear of suffocation. However, you need to overcome this fear, because there have been no cases of death from attacks of VSD, which means that it is quite possible to fight them with independent training, including breathing exercises that will help.

Doctor Kurpatov highlights the features of the anxiety state associated with lack of air:

if the patient does not have enough air, he must understand that everyone around him has enough and calm down;
if there is a suspicion of bronchial asthma, but the doctor does not see visible signs, then the problem is of a psychological nature, this also needs to be taken into account by the sufferer of VSD;
if after a cardiogram the diagnosis of atherosclerosis of the coronary vessels is not confirmed, then shortness of breath is a subjective sensation;
The professor also touches on the fear of death that visits a patient during an attack of VSD - he claims that even if breathing is interrupted, the body’s defensive reactions will not allow the body to die.

So you need to learn to calm down and breathe correctly, including during attacks of VSD.