Is this panic attack?

I experience this symptoms 2 days in a row. Shortness of breath unable to breathe through nose have to breathe through mouth, turning pale and feeling cold and this last for about an hour. ECG, chest x-ray and blood test are normal. Will there be any effects on the lungs and body after a panic attack?

[Julie359]

There will be yes, you can be left feeling exausted, drained, tingling extremeties, upset stomach.  Although ive not heard of there being any effect on the lungs, even during a panic attack your lungs are not being damaged in any way, it is just where you are hyperventilating and your breathing higher up in your chest rather than your diaphram, this changes the blood chemistry, but is not dangerous.  As soon as the panic attack is over your breathing clams, you start to breath from your diaprham again and you start to feel less symptoms.

Symptoms of hyperventitating are numbness in face, lips, hands, arms, fingers.  Chest tightness, chest pain, lightheadedness, dizziness, feeling of suffocation, anxiety, panic and these are to name a few.  

A good technique to use when this happens is to grab a brown paper bag and place over the nose and mouth and try to slow your breathing into it, this will help to return your blood chemistry to normal and stop all the nasty feelings..... remember though it will not harm you, it is not dangerous, just uncomfortable.  If you dont have a paper bag then cup your hands and place them over your mouth and nose and breath into them until you feel better.  While doing this repeat calming verses in your mind like this is just an anxiety attack, im safe and it will not hurt me, which will help calm you down.

Hope this helps some....... good luck,

[jxchoo]

After the attack I have been breathing through my chest instead of my diaphragm. How can I breathe through my diaphragm again.

[Julie359]

It should happen naturally, what i will say is if you continue to focus your attention on your chest and watch your breathing you will continue to have problems as you are watching for every little sign of an attack coming on, which will cause it to happen and will cause a vicious cycle of fear producing fear.  To end this engage your time in things that take up all your concentration and focus on these tasks instead, this will help trust me.  Take up a hobbie if you find you have a lot of free time or involve yourself in a relaxation class like meditation or yoga.  Yoga and meditation helps a great deal with breathing and teaches you how to control it and will help with Hyperventilating.

Good-luck.