How to overcome anxiety, hyperventilation, chest pain, and breathing difficulties due to anemia?

Question

Hi doctor,

My girlfriend is anemic and suffers from anxiety. Sometimes due to stress or simply triggered by traumatic events in movies. She can suddenly start to hyperventilate, have chest pain, difficulty to breath, and can even pass out from it. Due to her iron deficiency anemia, I would assume she needs to increase oxygen levels during such an event, thus having something like medical oxygen bottle or inhaler would help. However, upon looking into hyperventilation symptoms, it is always suggested to do the opposite, as in trying to slow down breathing and increase carbon dioxide (CO2) levels which seems counterintuitive. Therefore I would be grateful for a professional's opinion on this matter. Best regards.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com. I understand your concern. Actually, oxygen is required when saturation falls due to anxiety. Increased breathing rate can be seen but it does not lead to a fall in saturation or oxygen levels. You do not need to give her extra oxygen from a cylinder or inhaler. Just treat anxiety with medications or meditation and yoga. You can consult a psychiatrist for anxiety issues. They can suggest some good medicines for it. Apart from it nothing to worry about, everything will be fine. Thank you.