What is hyperventilation?

Hyperventilation is when your body breathes too fast, like a racehorse that can't stop running.

Imagine you're playing tag and you run super fast, your lungs work hard to keep up. Now imagine doing that for a long time, or even just a little bit more than usual. That's what happens during hyperventilation: your lungs blow out too much carbon dioxide, which is the "waste" gas your body makes when you breathe in oxygen.

When this happens, you might feel dizzy or tingly in your hands and feet, kind of like when you drink a cold soda too fast and your tummy goes whoosh. It's not scary, just like when you laugh really hard and your sides hurt.

Sometimes, hyperventilation starts from feeling nervous or excited, like before a big test or a party. Other times, it can be from breathing too fast because of something else, like a cough or even just being tired.

Your body is trying to help you by giving you more oxygen, but sometimes it goes overboard!