Is it only in movies that people experiencing panic attack do grab brown paper bag? Anxiety and panic attacks are always related to brown paper bag and hyperventilation. This is not a myth or even a folklore practice it does have a medical explanation. However, before getting into the rationalization why a panic attack requires a handy brown paper bag – you need first to understand what is this health condition?
Brief overview of what is a panic attack?
Panic attack is a sudden onset of an intense emotion just like fear or anxiety that may lead to an uncomfortable feeling. Manifestations of a person suffering a panic attack may experience fainting, numbness, heavy breathing (hyperventilation), sweating, trembling or even palpitations. Panic attack may be related to some traumatic experiences before like phobias; hereditary, drug or alcohol related or even chronic (serious condition) like heart problems. Cures for panic attacks depend on the main cause, so it is important to find out the underlying reason to successfully manage it.
Relationship of a brown paper bag to a panic attack:
Hyperventilation is one of the most common symptoms of a panic attack. In this case, you breathe very fast and inhale oxygen more than your body requires. Your body can’t utilize this ample amount of oxygen without the help of your carbon dioxide (which is lowered in amount every time you hyperventilate). Logically speaking, you have to control this carbon dioxide loss to normalize your breathing. Here comes the role of your handy brown paper bag. Breathing in a paper bag during a panic attack is a technique to re-breathe the carbon dioxide that you just exhaled. And this increases carbon dioxide levels in our blood, which in turn slows our breathing rate.
Video: Why does breathing into a paper bag help us when were hyperventilating during a panic attack?
Now you know the reason why brown paper bag is your tool to control hyperventilating episodes. Do you mind caring any experiences during a panic attack?
