Panic attack underwater after slight exertion (feeling out of breath)

[Miyaru]

Purging your reg is not gonna solve the issue. Think about it:

• you breathe in air.
• your body uses the oxygen in that air, it goes from your lungs into your blood.
• after using the oxygen in your body, carbondioxide is transported back to your lungs.
• CO2 can go from your blood to your lungs if the amount of CO2 in your lungs is low.
• you breathe out the CO2.

When you're purging your reg to breathe in easier/more, your are still not breathing out the CO2!

The human body has no way to determine the amount of oxygen present in the blood. But, we have a little sensor in the back of our brain that can measure the carbondioxide level in the blood.
CO2 level too high? -> signal the brain that the breathing has to increase.
And that's the feeling which you experience as not getting enough air.

The exact process of gas exchange in your lungs can be explained with partial gas pressures as it's all physics laws, but the whole point is still simple:

Breathe out completely​

 

[Alaskan Scuba Dude]

When you have healthy lungs, breathing is natural and easy. You breathe in and out with your diaphragm doing about 80 percent of the work to fill your lungs with a mixture of oxygen and other gases, and then to send the waste gas out. Lung HelpLine respiratory therapist Mark Courtney compares the process to a screen door with a spring, opening and shutting on its own. "Our lungs are springy, like the door. Over time, though, with asthma and especially with COPD, our lungs lose that springiness. They don't return to the same level as when you start breathing, and air gets trapped in our lungs,"


Over time, stale air builds up, leaving less room for the diaphragm to contract and bring in fresh oxygen. With the diaphragm not working to full capacity, the body starts to use other muscles in the neck, back and chest for breathing. This translates into lower oxygen levels, and less reserve for exercise and activity. If practiced regularly, breathing exercises can help rid the lungs of accumulated stale air, increase oxygen levels and get the diaphragm to return to its job of helping you breathe.

Blow up 100 balloons.

Breathing Exercises

Like aerobic exercise improves your heart function and strengthens your muscles, breathing exercises can make your lungs more efficient.

www.lung.org

 

[johndiver999]

Purging your reg is not gonna solve the issue. Think about it:

• you breathe in air.
• your body uses the oxygen in that air, it goes from your lungs into your blood.
• after using the oxygen in your body, carbondioxide is transported back to your lungs.
• CO2 can go from your blood to your lungs if the amount of CO2 in your lungs is low.
• you breathe out the CO2.

When you're purging your reg to breathe in easier/more, your are still not breathing out the CO2!

The human body has no way to determine the amount of oxygen present in the blood. But, we have a little sensor in the back of our brain that can measure the carbondioxide level in the blood.
CO2 level too high? -> signal the brain that the breathing has to increase.
And that's the feeling which you experience as not getting enough air.

The exact process of gas exchange in your lungs can be explained with partial gas pressures as it's all physics laws, but the whole point is still simple:

Breathe out completely​

Actually. it might help. I generally view it as a very bad indicator of comfort when I see a scuba diver holding the regulator in their mouth. It is a form of insecurity and can be a precursor to bolting for the surface.

On the other hand, it DOES take some effort to suck in on a regulator. If instead, you just press the purge and inhale the blast of air, it is easier. However, more importantly from a psychological perspective, it helps provide reassurance that the regulator will deliver a ton of air and with essentially zero effort. For a well trained diver, who is familiar with getting very out of breath underwater, this sort of crutch is not really needed.

If anyone doubts that pressing the purge and freeflowing the regulator into your mouth, rather than sucking should try it in a pool or something. Do some sprints at 100% effort and then see how it feels.

Also, the advice about concentrating on exhaling more completely is 100% on the mark and will help to prevent or resolve the problem of shallow breathing and the Co2 issue.

When I get gassed underwater and begin to feel the creeping stress from exertion and co2 build up, I notice that I have a tendency/desire to want to NOT fully exhale, but rather to quickly gulp in another big breath of air. I have to remind myself that this instinct is wrong and I must be patient in my breathing cycle and allow myself time to push out more air on exhalation. It seems slower, because your air flow leaving the lungs gets slower as you push the final volume out. It is not normal to delay inhalation because you are consciously emptying your lungs on an exhale. It take acclimation and understanding, but there is no substitute for aerobic conditioning, which I could certainly improve.

 

[owenfred18]

Sound like you are over breathing your rig and developing hypercapnia which can lead to hypoxia. Long exhales and slowly inhaling helps with this issue a lot. Best of luck!

 

[Nitrox_DiverNY]

as others have said this is a co2 build up, and as a new diver I have experienced the same thing. On my 5th dive ever we did a very very long swim off the beach, the current was strong, and on the way back in I started to feel my legs cramp up and a minute or to later I was starting to feel very bad anxiety and like I could not get enough air. we were only In 15-20ft of water with 80plus vis and I said to myself wtf why am I starting to panic, I wasn't nervous about the diving, but this was the longest dive of my life, and I was out of breath in the strong current. I made the choice to ascend out of caution and rested on the surface. I spent 5-10min at the surface trying to get my breath back and when I did I felt so much better. It was at this experience that showed me the scary effects of co2 and how it can induce major panic even in very shallow water. Glad you are ok, safe diving!

 

[Graeme Fraser]

+1 for CO2 build-up. I've had a couple of hits in the past, once after over exertion and once through a poorly seated mushroom valve in a full face mask. I don't know if you had this, but both of my hits resulted in a banging headache afterwards which can be another telltale sign.

I believe another poster suggested that now you've experienced it, you may recognise the early onset and take steps to mitigate in future. This is sage advice and a positive after, what I agree, is an unpleasant situation. We can all read about problems, but to have something actually happen and then deal with it, is a lesson you never forget.