Hidden Hyperventilation: How to Recognise it

It is easy for many of us to recognise when someone is hyperventilating severely. You can see the mouth is open, there is a lot of movement in the upper chest and shoulders, you can hear their breathlessness as they draw in lots of air each breath. At this point they are in a state of panic and it is clear to see.

The fact is though that there is a high prevalence in our community of chronic hyperventilation which is very damaging to health but is going unnoticed by our health system.

The hidden fact:

Chronic hyperventilation syndrome is very common but rarely diagnosed and can be the key factor in many common medical conditions. There are many people suffering from what I term as ‘hidden hyperventilation’. These people have no obvious signs of hyperventilation. They appear to breathe comfortably with their nose and their breathing is silent and appears relaxed.

However, when tested on biofeedback are found to have a rapid respiratory rate, often in excess of 20 breaths in just one minute. This increases nervous system activity compromising the immune system, increasing systemic inflammation, constricts tube systems in the body and can make it very difficult to relax.

The hidden effects:

We have detected hidden hyperventilation repeatedly in those who struggle to recover from infections such as covid, mental health struggles such as anxiety and also in cases of hypertension (high blood pressure) and more. If standard medical testing is not revealing any answers in your case than ‘hidden hyperventilation’ may well be the condition not being detected.

If you suffer from any chronic health issue it is a wise step to have your breathing pattern tested. It may provide the answer you have been looking for.