What Happens When You Get the Wind Knocked Out of You?

What Does It Mean to Get the Wind Knocked Out of You?

Getting the wind knocked out of you refers to a sudden loss of breath that happens when a blow to your chest or abdomen forcibly expels air from your lungs. It's a common occurrence in contact sports or as a result of an accident or fall. The medical term for getting the wind knocked out of you is expiratory apnea.

Causes of Getting the Wind Knocked Out

There are a few different ways you can get the wind knocked out of you:

• A blow to the chest or abdomen that forcefully contracts your diaphragm and expels air from the lungs
• Falling on your back and hitting the ground, which compresses the chest
• A direct blow to the solar plexus region below the ribcage
• A forceful blow below the sternum or breastbone

Athletes in contact sports like football, boxing, martial arts, or hockey are prone to getting the wind knocked out of them from body blows. But it can happen to anyone who takes a sufficiently forceful hit to the chest or stomach.

What Happens When You Get the Wind Knocked Out of You

When you get the wind knocked out of you, here is what happens:

• The blunt force blow causes your diaphragm to spasm involuntarily.
• The diaphragm contraction forcefully expels most or all air from your lungs.
• This causes a temporary paralysis of the diaphragm muscle so it can't contract again to inhale.
• You are unable to breathe again for a brief time until the diaphragm paralysis resolves.
• This leads to an intense feeling of breathlessness or suffocation.
• You will reflexively gasp for air once you are able to inhale again.

This abrupt loss of breath triggers an autonomic nervous system distress response. Your blood pressure and heart rate shoot up. You may feel like you are suffocating. While frightening, the event usually only lasts 15 to 30 seconds before normal breathing returns.

Risk Factors for Getting the Wind Knocked Out

Certain factors can increase your risk of getting the wind knocked out:

• Participating in contact sports like boxing, football, hockey, or martial arts
• Sports with potential for body collisions and trauma like rugby or wrestling
• Sports with projectiles that can strike the chest like baseball, softball, lacrosse
• Not wearing protective gear while playing sports
• History of conditions affecting the nerves or muscles involved in breathing
• Lung diseases like COPD that reduce lung elasticity
• Older age
• Poor physical conditioning
• Asthma or bronchitis

Short-Term Effects

Some of the common short-term effects you may experience after getting the wind knocked out of you include:

• Difficulty breathing - You may struggle to take a breath in after the initial blow. This is from the brief paralysis of the diaphragm.
• Gasping for air - Once your diaphragm relaxes, you'll reflexively gasp and try to inhale.
• Shortness of breath - Breathing may remain difficult for a little while after the incident.
• Rapid heartbeat - From the spike in blood pressure and heart rate due to distress.
• Lightheadedness - From hyperventilating while trying to catch your breath.
• Coughing or choking sensation - From irritation to the throat and airways.
• Trunk or chest pain - Soreness from the blunt trauma to the chest or abdomen.
• Anxiety or panic - Due to the feeling that you can't breathe.

These symptoms and sensations are most intense immediately after getting the wind knocked out of you. They typically resolve within a few minutes as normal breathing and oxygen levels are restored.

When to Seek Emergency Care

In most cases, getting the wind knocked out of you is temporary and breathing returns to normal fast. But in some situations you should seek prompt medical care:

• You still can't catch your breath after 10 minutes.
• Chest pain, difficulty breathing, or shortness of breath persists.
• You cough up blood after the injury.
• You have symptoms of concussion like dizziness or disorientation.
• You have chest pain, tenderness, or deformity from potential rib fractures.
• You suspect you may have suffered internal injuries.
• You have pre-existing heart or lung disease.

Seek emergency care if any concerning or severe symptoms last more than 10 minutes after you had the wind knocked out of you. Call 911 or go to an ER to be evaluated for potentially serious injuries.

Long-Term Consequences

While most fully recover quickly, getting the wind knocked out of you can sometimes cause longer lasting complications like:

• Lingering chest pain - From potential bruised or fractured ribs if the chest blow was forceful.
• Chest or torso bruising - May last 1-2 weeks until the blood from damaged capillaries is reabsorbed.
• Difficulty taking deep breaths - Due to chest soreness and pain from damaged muscle and soft tissue.
• Post-traumatic stress - Some develop anxiety about physical exertion or getting injured again.
• Hyperventilation syndrome - Involves episodes of rapid, panicked breathing brought on by stress.

Traumatic injuries that result in broken ribs or a bruised diaphragm may take 4-6 weeks to fully heal. See your doctor if pain persists beyond a few weeks so they can check for complications or missed injuries.

Returning to Physical Activity

If the wind was knocked out of you during sports or exercise, ease back into training. Try to give your body plenty of rest while recovering from the trauma before resuming intense physical activity. Some tips include:

• Wait at least 72 hours to return to exercise and build back up slowly.
• Restrict activities that could reinjure your chest or abdomen.
• Wear protective gear like pads or a rib brace to prevent re-injury.
• Avoid contact sports until completely healed.
• Use ice and anti-inflammatory medication to manage residual chest soreness.
• Get cleared by a doctor for return to contact sports or heavy lifting.

Give yourself time to recover before training intensely again if you had the wind knocked out of you. Trying to do too much too soon can cause repeat injury or more serious trauma to the chest or lungs.

Prevention

While not every instance can be avoided, there are some precautions you can take to help prevent getting the wind knocked out of you:

• Wear protective gear during contact sports like chest pads, rib guards, or padded compression shirts.
• Strengthen core muscles with regular exercise to protect your torso.
• Use proper technique and keep your head up when making contact in sports.
• Avoid dangerous maneuvers like spearing in football and rugby.
• Stretch and warm up thoroughly before sports or exercise.
• Maintain proper calcium intake and bone health to avoid rib fractures.
• Consider taking martial arts classes to learn how to fall safely.
• Wear shoes with good traction and avoid slippery conditions to prevent falls.

While not guaranteed to prevent it, taking proactive measures can reduce your changes of getting the wind knocked out of you.

Summary

Getting the wind knocked out of you is an involuntary loss of breath that happens when a blow forcibly contracts your diaphragm. It can cause difficulty breathing for about 30 seconds due to paralysis of the diaphragm. While distressing, it typically resolves quickly once the diaphragm relaxes. Seek prompt medical care if symptoms persist more than 10 minutes or you suspect a more serious injury like broken ribs or a concussion.

With proper rest and care, most make a full recovery within a few weeks at most. Taking preventive precautions like wearing protective sports gear and strengthening the core muscles can help reduce your chances of getting the wind knocked out.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.