Can hyperventilation cause a heart attack?
In very rare cases, people who hyperventilate can have lower carbon dioxide blood levels that can cause a spasm of the blood vessels that supply the heart. If you already have heart disease, this spasm may be enough to cause a heart attack. In the majority of patients with hyperventilation, chest pain is due to over-breathing, and over-inflation of the lungs. Without thinking about it, you use your chest muscles to try expand your rib cage. This extra muscle work will feel like shortness of breath, and you’ll have difficulty in taking a deep breath. Your chest muscles will become tired, just like your legs tire after a long run. That is why so many get so much relief with our video 176. How can hyperventilation be differentiated from a heart attack? The diagnosis of causes of chest pain should ALWAYS be made by a doctor. But many doctors know little of hidden breathing pattern disorders. Clues that will be helpful include: Hyperventilation symptoms usually last longer (hours as opposed
