Dizziness, Tingling and Fainting During Breathing Exercises: Causes and What to Do

Urgent first

Stop the exercise now and return to normal, unforced breathing. Sit or lie down. Call 911 (in the US) if there is chest pain, pressure or a pounding or irregular heartbeat, weakness or inability to move a limb, slurred speech or vision changes, a seizure, or if the person does not become alert within a couple of minutes. [1][2] If you are not sure, treat it as an emergency.

Why it can happen

Breathing faster or deeper than the body needs is called overbreathing. MedlinePlus says it leaves a low level of carbon dioxide in the blood and lists lightheadedness, dizziness, weakness, tingling and muscle spasms among the results. [3] You may not notice you are breathing fast and deep. [3]

Fainting is a brief loss of consciousness due to a drop in blood flow to the brain. [1] MedlinePlus lists rapid and deep breathing among its possible causes. [1] A clinical review of cerebral blood flow testing says syncope occurs when blood flow falls below a critical limit, and that susceptibility increases with hyperventilation, hypocapnia (low carbon dioxide) and cerebral vasoconstriction. [4] That is a physiological finding; it does not tell you which exercises are risky for you.

What to do, step by step

These steps combine NHS and MedlinePlus advice on dizziness and fainting with a precaution we add for breathing practice.

1. Stop and breathe normally. The sources we read for this page do not give breathing-practice-specific stop rules; this is a precaution drawn from the symptom descriptions.
2. Lie down until the dizziness passes, then get up slowly. [5]
3. If you feel about to faint, the NHS suggests lying down with your legs raised, or sitting with your head lowered between your knees. [6]
4. Do not do anything dangerous while dizzy, such as driving, climbing a ladder or using heavy machinery. [5]
5. If someone has fainted, MedlinePlus says to check airway and breathing, call 911 if needed, loosen tight clothing around the neck, raise the feet and keep them lying down for at least 10 to 15 minutes. [1]

Tingling

Tingling during fast or deep breathing can come from overbreathing. The NHS lists "breathing too quickly, trembling hands, pins and needles" as a pattern linked to hyperventilation. [7] But tingling has many other causes, including nerve problems, low blood supply, some medicines and conditions such as diabetes. [2] Go to a hospital or call 911 if tingling comes with weakness, slurred speech, vision change, confusion or loss of consciousness. [2] See a clinician if tingling keeps coming back or has no obvious cause. [7]

Dizziness has other causes too

The NHS lists ear infection, migraine, dehydration, heat exhaustion, stress or anxiety, low blood sugar, anemia and motion sickness, and says a sudden drop in blood pressure on standing is a common cause. [5] If dizziness keeps coming back or you have hearing or vision changes, numbness or weakness, see a GP. [5] Do not assume the breathing exercise is the only reason.

Keeping practice gentle

The NHS technique says to let the breath flow into the belly as comfortably as you can "without forcing it," in a comfortable position. [8] NCCIH reports occasional negative experiences with relaxation techniques such as increased anxiety or fear of losing control. [9] If focusing on breath makes you uneasy, see when focusing on breath makes you anxious. Other pages: how to tell comfortable breathing from too much, overbreathing and hyperventilation, and the safety overview.