How to Rid the Body of Carbon Dioxide
Your body creates carbon dioxide as part of the respiratory process. When you breathe in, your body uses oxygen molecules from the air and sugar molecules from what you eat to create energy. Carbon dioxide is one of the by-products of this power production cycle, much like it is produced in smoke when you burn wood in a fire. Too much carbon dioxide may give you a headache or make you vomit. Use controlled breathing techniques to safely rid the body of carbon dioxide without bringing about the symptoms of low carbon dioxide.
Go somewhere with fresh air. Car engines, fires and industrial settings are common sources of carbon dioxide 3. Your body wants to breathe in fresh air, and these things are sources of excess carbon dioxide 3.
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Breathe normally when you are at rest or not undergoing cardiac exercise. Your brain automatically tells your body how deeply and frequently it should breathe. The breathing cycle rids your body of carbon dioxide and brings in fresh oxygen.
Breathe slowly when you are out of breath, gasping air or notice that your rate of breathing has accelerated. When you allow yourself to take quick, shallow breaths in these situations, you risk hyperventilation.
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Take deep breaths when you are panting, gasping or breathing rapidly. Feel your lungs fill entirely, then exhale until you feel like you have completely emptied them. This also helps fight hyperventilation and expels the carbon dioxide from your body in a controlled manner.
Tips
Numb arms and mouth, a lightheaded feeling and dizziness are all signs of hyperventilation, which means you have rid your body of too much carbon dioxide. Headaches and feeling tired are signs of excess carbon dioxide, which means you need to find fresh air and rid your body of more carbon dioxide.
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References
- University of Colorado Boulder: The Circulation System
- University of New Mexico; The Science of Breathing; Sarah Novotny et al.
- Bringham Young University: Carbon Dioxide Sources
- NASA Global Climate Exchange. The Atmosphere: Getting a Handle on Carbon Dioxide. Published October 9, 2019.
- Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Carbon Dioxide. Last revised December 20, 2019.
- Antoine M, Katyal N, Bollu PC. Ventilation Obesity-Hypoventilation Syndrome. [Updated 2019 Nov 14]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2019 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482300/
- National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Sleep Apnea.
- Patel S, Majmundar SH. Physiology, Carbon Dioxide Retention. [Updated 2019 Jun 3]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2019 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482456/
Tips
- Numb arms and mouth, a lightheaded feeling and dizziness are all signs of hyperventilation, which means you have rid your body of too much carbon dioxide.
- Headaches and feeling tired are signs of excess carbon dioxide, which means you need to find fresh air and rid your body of more carbon dioxide.
Writer Bio
James McElroy began his journalism career in 2001 and his stories have appeared in newspapers around the world, including "The Columbus Dispatch" and "The Star-Ledger." He studied journalism at the E.W. Scripps Graduate School of Journalism at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.