What will happen if you hold your breathe to long?

Holding your breath is not a challenge worth taking. Despite what some people may claim, it won’t make you pass out for fun or give you a natural high. In fact, holding your breath — which deprives your body of life-sustaining oxygen — can have dangerous and even deadly consequences.

Here’s what happens to your body when you hold your breath until you pass out. (Spoiler alert: It’s not pretty.)

Stage 1: Reduced oxygen levels

When you hold your breath, the oxygen in your blood starts to drop. This is because you’re not taking in fresh oxygen, but you’re still using oxygen to fuel your body’s functions. As your oxygen levels decrease, you may start to feel lightheaded or dizzy. You may also experience ringing in your ears or feel a tingling sensation in your hands and feet.

Stage 2: Increased carbon dioxide levels

As you continue to hold your breath, the carbon dioxide levels in your blood start to rise. Carbon dioxide is a waste product of cellular respiration, and it can build up in your bloodstream when you’re not breathing properly. High levels of carbon dioxide can cause headaches, nausea, vomiting, and seizures. They can also lead to a loss of consciousness.

Stage 3: Blackout

If you hold your breath long enough, you will eventually reach a point where you blackout. This is because your brain is no longer getting enough oxygen to function properly. When you blackout, you may experience a variety of symptoms, including confusion, disorientation, and hallucinations. You may also lose control of your bodily functions, such as urinating or defecating.

Stage 4: Brain damage

If you continue to hold your breath after you’ve blacked out, you can cause serious damage to your brain. Brain damage can lead to permanent disability or even death.

Risk Factors:

- Young males. This behavior seems most prevalent in young men from 10-20 years old.

- Hyperventilation ahead of time may exacerbate the outcome of holding one's breath.

Prevention:

The best way to prevent yourself from passing out is to simply never hold your breath for more than a few seconds. If you want to test your breath-holding abilities, do so in a safe environment with someone else present. And never hyperventilate before holding your breath.