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toomanyeevees2 t1_je1znh2 wrote

Reply to comment by Ape_Togetha_Strong in ELI5: How does breathing into a paper bag help with hyperventilation? by nuggetandbun

this is the only correct response

hyperventilating makes you blow off too much carbon dioxide. breathing into a bag forces you to rebreathe that CO2, which keeps the balance of CO2 in your blood closer to normal. too little CO2 in your blood makes your blood too alkaline, which is not good for all the chemical reactions happening in your body.

the purpose isnt to make you breathe slower, it’s preventing respiratory alkalosis

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TrialAndAaron t1_je4iqdx wrote

Thanks for this. I always thought it was just a way to regulate breathing. Very interesting!

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