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Hyperventilation attack: short rapid breathing, (like the person's been running for a while)
Hyperventilation can be brought on by a number of factors, they include:

• Anxiety (the most common cause)
• Severe stomach pains.
• Heart or lung disease.
• Extensive physical injuries.

Follow these steps for self help:
 Loosely cover your nose and mouth with a small paper bag.
 Breathe slowly into the bag and rebreathe the air in the bag about 10 times.
 Set the bag aside and breathe normally for a couple of minutes.
 Repeat steps 2 and 3 until the symptoms lessen or go away.
 Try to breathe slowly. Focus on taking one breath every 5 seconds.

Treatment.
To treat someone who is hyperventilating.

• Avoid becoming caught up in the panic  (remain calm )
• Make direct eye contact, and speak clearly and slowly.
• Identify yourself if you're not known to the person.
• Give short clear instructions.
• Make calming gestures.
• Allow the casualty some space ( don't crowd them in )
• Minimise embarrassment and avoid an audience.
• Get them to sit down, if they aren't already.
• Sit with them at eye level
• Encourage them to breathe normally. ( talk them through the breathing cycle )
• Inhale, take in long slow deep breath. ( breathe with them )
• Hold breath for +1 seconds.
• Exhale slowly, ( pucker your lips like you're going to kiss )
• Tell them to relax in a clam voice, just before they reach the end of exhalation.
• Start a new breathing cycle while telling them how well they are doing.
• Continue encouraging them to breathe normally.

Try these breathing exercises on yourself first ! ( sitting or lying down )