Why breathe in a paper bag or a balloon?

Caution : You must consult your doctor for your health. This page presents only a personal and alternative point of view which should not be considered as an attempt to prescribe medicine.

We've all had a panic attack at least once.

This crisis, often characterized by sweating, broken breathing and other related signs, is not at all easy to manage.

One of the best-known techniques for dealing with a panic attack is to breathe into a paper bag or a balloon.

So let's see the reasons why this technique is recommended.

To cope with anxiety attacks

Panic or anxiety attacks can happen anytime and to anyone.

They are often associated with a particular fear (fear of going crazy, fear of dying …) or with another disorder such as depression.

Although doctors recommend that you take medication to deal with these problems, good breathing is considered the ideal solution to deal with panic instantly.

Author Shirley Trickett describes it in her book "Ending Anxiety Attacks".

She writes that the best way to tame excess anxiety is to know how to breathe well.

For her, breathing well can give everyone back control over all aspects of their life.

Good breathing influences not only physical health, but also emotional health.

It therefore emerges that the exercises or techniques promoting breathing can de-stress and fight against anxiety and anguish.

There are many breathing exercises to overcome anxiety.

Among the most practical and recommended, we find abdominal breathing and breathing in a paper bag or balloon.

The paper bag or the ball for better breathing

Breathing in a paper bag or balloon is one of the recommended breathing techniques when panic attacks occur.

During these, we often breathe faster and carbon dioxide comes out of the body through exhalation.

This phenomenon causes hyperventilation of the body.

Why ? Because even though carbon dioxide is harmful to the body, its rapid decrease in the blood causes an imbalance.

You will then notice the following symptoms due to hyperventilation: hand tremors, dizziness, restlessness, blurred vision, muscle cramps, chest pain, palpitations, dry mouth, fatigue, etc.

It can even happen that one loses consciousness due to hyperventilation.

When we breathe in a paper bag or a balloon, we breathe in the carbon dioxide.

Thanks to this reabsorption, the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide are restored in the brain and blood.

The body then begins to recover better and we can resume breathing more calmly.

However, be careful not to breathe too long into the paper bag or balloon, as this can become dangerous (in excess).

Generally, it is advisable to stop as soon as you feel better, and it should not last more than 10 minutes.

How to use the paper bag or the balloon to breathe better?

To properly use the paper bag or balloon technique to manage your breath, you need to do it the right way.

First, you need to start by holding the bag or balloon around your nose and mouth.

This will increase the level of carbon dioxide.

Then take care to breathe as normally as possible (slowly if possible).

Keep in mind that the goal is to relieve yourself by reabsorbing your carbon dioxide.

There is therefore no point in breathing too quickly in the bag at the risk of worsening your condition.

Note that there are also protective masks in which you can mount a paper bag.

You will find these masks in DIY stores or pharmacies.

All you have to do is cut out the middle of the mask and tape the edges of the bag around the hole with masking tape.

The bag technique therefore makes it possible to recover quickly during an anxiety attack.

You can also use it to prevent symptoms when you feel like having the anxiety attack.

You can even do this several times a day if you are very prone to these latest panic attacks.

However, feel free to try other breathing exercises to manage your panic attacks, such as the famous intermittent breathing.

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