Today I heard Dr. Aashish Diwanwala from North Western Medical School during conference in Houston (http://www.pri-med.com)
He said that about 15% of patients complaining of dizziness may have anxiety. It frequently makes patient breathe shallow and fast, without patient’s knowledge. It washes out carbon dioxide causing “HYPOCAPNIA”, that’s lowered carbon dioxide level in blood. (Carbon dioxide is produced by our body cells burning oxygen).
This HYPOCAPNIA causes arteries in brain to constrict, leading to lower oxygen in brain and this can cause transient dizziness, vision changes, pins and needle feeling and more anxiety.
A simple technique is stay calm, keep mouth closed and breathe slowly and deliberately through the nose. This allows levels out carbon dioxide where the symptoms of dizziness go away.
Students who get nervous or feel jittery before test may try above to see if it would benefit them.
Mahesh Dave