IMPORTANT
Unless otherwise stated on the package, most supplements and herbal remedies aren’t suitable for children under 12.
Click here for more details

Hyperventilation

What you need to know:

This is seldom a problem for children, but it’s common in teenagers, especially girls, when it’s mostly associated with stress, tension, anxiety and panic attacks.

It’s not an illness, in fact, it’s a fairly minor ailment, but it can have very serious social and emotional consequences - and it’s terrifying to sufferers. Some become so scared of having an attack that, at a time when life should be full of fun and exciting challenges, they’re scared of going to school or out with their friends. They always believe they’re in danger of passing out and dying, which makes the panic worse. Many become isolated and eventually agoraphobic.

There’s very often one incident or collection or problems which were the cause of the first attack, but that may be long forgotten and the panic becomes a subconscious reflex reaction over which they have no control.

It’s useless telling sufferers to ‘pull themselves together,’ calm down or stop being silly. If it were that simple, they could do it for themselves. But realistically, the worst possible outcome is fainting. The body then takes over, breathing returns to normal and the sufferer recovers feeling just a bit shaken.

The underlying causes are best treated by counselling, psychotherapy or hypnosis, but known sufferers should never leave home without a brown paper bag in their pocket or handbag - and they shouldn’t be embarrassed to use it if they feel an attack looming. That may not be the easiest advice to give someone who feels anxious anyway - particularly a self-conscious teenager - but after they’ve used it once or twice to stop an attack, they may start to feel more relaxed and bring the vicious circle to an end.

At the first sign of the symptoms, simply place the bag over your nose and mouth and breath in and out as slowly as you can. Re-breathing your own exhaled air soon reduces the high levels of oxygen, the brain sends the appropriate messages to your lungs and breathing returns to normal - panic over.

The most useful Herbs:

There are herbs that can help - but they’re all for the over-12s only.

For stress, try:
 For depression, try:
 For anxiety, try:

Other useful advice:

Effective therapies include relaxation exercises, Aromatherapy massage, bio feedback and hypnosis. But any teenager showing signs of serious emotional disturbance or depression must be referred by their GP for specialist psychological treatment.
Back

This information is licensed for use by Wellbeing Information Systems Ltd ("WIS"), and protected by international copyright law. All rights are reserved. (email info@wisinfo.co.uk).
The information provided by WIS is for guidance only. Whilst it is based upon the expert advice of leading professionals, and extensive research, it is not a substitute for diagnosis by a qualified professional. Always consult your doctor, pharmacist or qualified practitioner before making any changes or additions to prescribed medication.