What happens when the wind is knocked out of you?

At some point or another we have all had the wind knocked out of us. It can be quite scary and painful when it happens. Fortunately, it typically last for about a minute but it can be the longest minute of your life.

“The work of breathing is done by the diaphragm, the muscles between the ribs (intercostal muscles), the muscles in the neck, and the abdominal muscles. The diaphragm, a dome-shaped sheet of muscle that separates the chest cavity from the abdomen, is the most important muscle used for breathing in (called inhalation or inspiration).”- http://www.merckmanuals.com

When you get the wind knocked out of you, the diaphragm spasms pausing its normal function.

So what do you do when this happens?

SportsMedBC recommends having the athlete or person breathe in slowly through the nose and out through their mouth or encourage diaphragmatic breathing (the stomach is pushed out to cause the diaphragm to descend while inhaling and the stomach is pulled in while exhaling.)

Despite having a great deal of pain and fear associated with getting the wind knocked out of you, it is relatively harmless in long term health and carries very few if any side effects.

Author: Stephanie Jones

Source:

http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/lung_and_airway_disorders/biology_of_the_lungs_and_airways/control_of_breathing.html

https://sportmedbc.com/news/%E2%80%9Cgetting-wind-knocked-out-you%E2%80%9D