Why do people use paper bags when they hyperventilate?

Question

in movies when people freak out they always ask for a paper bag. Why?

Answer 1

With hyperventilation, your body has too little CO2 in the blood. This reduces the acidity of the blood, which in turn causes calcium levels to fall in the body fluids. It is this derangement of temporary low calcium levels that causes temporary nerve symptoms such as the tingling.

When you hyperventilate you raise the rate at which CO2 is diffusing out of your blood by increasing the flow of air into your lungs which is low in CO2 relative to that in the blood.

Using a paper bag means you are recycling the air which raises the level of carbon dioxide in the air you are breathing in which slows the rate that the CO2 diffuses out of your blood in the lungs and brings the blood CO2 level back to normal.

Answer 2

hyperventalating is something like too much oxygen in the body, and when you breath in and out of a paper bag, your body isnt getting any more oxygen than is in the bag, so you are essentially just breathing in carbon dioxide, so the oxygen level decreases in the body. thats the theory anyways.

make it a good day

Answer 3

When you breath into a paper bag and then breath it back in, you get some of your carbon dioxide back.  The extra CO2 helps to calm down the hyperventilation.