/oss/taxonomy/term/1039/all en /oss/article/medical-student-contributors-general-science/why-do-some-people-breathe-bag-when-hyperventilating <p>“Just breathe!” is probably the worst thing that you can tell someone who is hyperventilating. The fact is, they can’t! Whatever the cause of the hyperventilation, screaming and telling someone to just “calm down” may actually worsen the situation. Don’t fret, there is still a way you can help, and it is actually quite simple. Offer them a paper bag to breathe into. We have all seen it done in movies or tv shows but this seemingly trivial solution is quite effective, but why?</p> Fri, 27 Sep 2024 03:59:40 +0000 Angelina Lapalme 10095 at /oss /oss/article/you-asked/drinking-carbonated-water-bad-you-if-not-how-much-safe <p>Overall, there is no clear research about the harm of drinking carbonated water.  The difficulty can come with excessive drinking of carbonated cola/other drinks as the sugar in the sweetened varieties is clearly of concern.  If a person has irritable bowel syndrome, the added carbon dioxide might cause pain due to bloating.  It is true that carbonated water is slightly more acidic than still water due to carbonic acid but this acid decomposes to carbon dioxide and water and is much less acidic than stomach acid.</p> Mon, 27 May 2013 13:00:10 +0000 David Harpp 1947 at /oss