National Dental Assisting Examining Board (NDAEB) Practice Exam

What condition is precipitated by stress and anxiety and may be treated by having the patient breathe into a paper bag?

1. Dehydration

2. Panic attack

3. Hyperventilation

4. Asthma attack

The correct answer is: Hyperventilation

The condition that is precipitated by stress and anxiety and may be treated by having the patient breathe into a paper bag is hyperventilation. When a person hyperventilates, they breathe faster and deeper than normal, often due to anxiety or panic, leading to an imbalance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the body. Breathing into a paper bag can help restore the normal balance by increasing carbon dioxide levels and allowing the individual to breathe in less oxygen, thus alleviating symptoms like dizziness, tingling, or light-headedness. In the context of the other conditions, dehydration is related to fluid loss and does not directly involve breathing patterns or anxiety. Panic attacks may share some similarities with hyperventilation, but they encompass a broader range of symptoms that do not specifically focus on the breathing pattern itself. An asthma attack is primarily characterized by airway constriction and inflammation rather than a direct link to hyperventilation or the method of breathing into a bag for relief. Overall, hyperventilation is the condition specifically managed by this breathing technique in a moment of acute stress or anxiety.