Friday we had a scare with our son, who turned out fine, but there's actually a connection to reefing. His school called to say that he was ill and I needed to pick him up. By the time I got there, he just wasn't himself, and getting worse. When I suggested I bring him to his pediatrician, the school nurse said no, we're going to call an ambulance. He was barely responsive, and his eyes weren't focusing. We lucked out getting an EMT that Kyle knew from Scouting, and the staff at Emerson Hospital further calmed him down, gave him fluids, and took blood samples. (To hear Kyle tell it, they drained his blood.) Within twenty minutes, he was good enough that there was no short-term concern.
Here's the reefing part. The doctor said the most likely cause was high blood pH from an anxiety attack. In response to such an attack, the body may either take deep, raspy breaths or quick, shallow breaths. In either case, CO2, which is prevelant in the lungs, is forced out. As those of us with calcium reactors can guess, this raises the blood's pH. (The doctor was amazed I was following his explanation, and thought I was a nurse - I didn't bother to explain.) It turns out that muscles and the nervous system are quite sensitive to pH, and a small change can result in inability to stand, to grasp, or to keep the eyes steady and focused. That's why breathing into a paper bag works when you feel faint. What you're really doing is restoring the CO2 level in your lungs, and your body does the rest.
Who would've thought that understanding the effects of CO2 in a reef tank would help me understand what happens during an anxiety attack?
-Karen
Here's the reefing part. The doctor said the most likely cause was high blood pH from an anxiety attack. In response to such an attack, the body may either take deep, raspy breaths or quick, shallow breaths. In either case, CO2, which is prevelant in the lungs, is forced out. As those of us with calcium reactors can guess, this raises the blood's pH. (The doctor was amazed I was following his explanation, and thought I was a nurse - I didn't bother to explain.) It turns out that muscles and the nervous system are quite sensitive to pH, and a small change can result in inability to stand, to grasp, or to keep the eyes steady and focused. That's why breathing into a paper bag works when you feel faint. What you're really doing is restoring the CO2 level in your lungs, and your body does the rest.
Who would've thought that understanding the effects of CO2 in a reef tank would help me understand what happens during an anxiety attack?
-Karen
