Learn About Hyperventilation

What is the definition of Hyperventilation?

Hyperventilation is rapid and deep breathing. It is also called overbreathing, and it may leave you feeling breathless.

What are the alternative names for Hyperventilation?

Rapid deep breathing; Breathing - rapid and deep; Overbreathing; Fast deep breathing; Respiratory rate - rapid and deep; Hyperventilation syndrome; Panic attack - hyperventilation; Anxiety - hyperventilation

What is some background information about Hyperventilation?

You breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide. Excessive breathing creates a low level of carbon dioxide in your blood. This causes many of the symptoms of hyperventilation.

You may hyperventilate from an emotional cause such as during a panic attack. Or, it can be due to a medical problem, such as bleeding or infection.

Your health care provider will determine the cause of your hyperventilation. Rapid breathing may be a medical emergency and you need to get treated, unless you have had this before and your provider has told you that you can treat it on your own.

If you frequently overbreathe, you may have a medical problem called hyperventilation syndrome.

When you're overbreathing, you might not be aware you're breathing fast and deep. But you'll likely be aware of the other symptoms, including:

  • Feeling lightheaded, dizzy, weak, or not able to think straight
  • Feeling as if you can't catch your breath
  • Chest pain or fast and pounding heartbeat
  • Belching or bloating
  • Dry mouth
  • Muscle spasms in the hands and feet
  • Numbness and tingling in the arms or around the mouth
  • Problems sleeping
What are the causes of Hyperventilation?

Emotional causes include:

  • Anxiety and nervousness
  • Panic attack
  • Situations where there is a psychological advantage in having a sudden, dramatic illness (for example, somatization disorder)
  • Stress

Medical causes include:

  • Bleeding
  • Heart problem such as heart failure or heart attack
  • Drugs (such as an aspirin overdose)
  • Infection such as pneumonia or sepsis
  • Ketoacidosis and other medical conditions causing excess acid production in the body
  • Lung disease such as asthma, COPD, or pulmonary embolism
  • Pregnancy
  • Severe pain
  • Stimulant medicines
How do I perform a home exam for a Hyperventilation?

Your provider will examine you for other causes of your overbreathing.

If your provider has said your hyperventilation is due to anxiety, stress, or panic, there are steps you can take at home. You, your friends, and family can learn techniques to stop it from happening and prevent future attacks.

If you start hyperventilating, the goal is to raise the carbon dioxide level in your blood. This will end most of your symptoms. Ways to do this include:

  • Get reassurance from a friend or family member to help relax your breathing. Words like "you are doing fine," "you are not having a heart attack," and "you are not going to die" are very helpful. It's very important that the person stays calm and uses a soft, relaxed tone.
  • To help get rid of carbon dioxide, learn to do pursed lip breathing. This is done by puckering your lips as if you're blowing out a candle, then breathing out slowly through your lips.
  • If you have been diagnosed with anxiety or panic, see a mental health professional to help you understand and treat your condition.

  • Learn breathing exercises that help you relax and breathe from your diaphragm and abdomen, rather than from your chest wall.
  • Practice relaxation techniques, such as progressive muscle relaxation or meditation.
  • Exercise regularly.
  • If these methods alone don't prevent overbreathing, your provider may recommend medicine.

    When should I contact a medical professional for Hyperventilation?

    Contact your provider if:

    • You are having rapid breathing for the first time. This may be a medical emergency for which you should be taken to the emergency room right away.
    • You are in pain, have a fever, or are bleeding.
    • Your hyperventilation continues or gets worse, even with home treatment.
    • You also have other symptoms.
    What should I expect during a doctor appointment?

    Your provider will perform a physical exam and ask about your symptoms.

    Your breathing will also be checked. If you are not breathing quickly at the time, the provider may try to cause hyperventilation by telling you to breathe in a certain way. The provider will then watch how you breathe and check which muscles you're using to breathe.

    Tests that may be ordered include:

    • Blood tests for the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in your blood
    • Chest CT scan
    • ECG to check your heart
    • Ventilation/perfusion scan of your lungs to measure breathing and lung circulation
    • X-rays of the chest
    Who are the top Hyperventilation Local Doctors?
    Family Medicine
    Family Medicine

    Hutchinson Clinic P A Inc

    1100 N Main St, 
    Hutchinson, KS 
     23.5 mi
    Accepting New Patients

    Robert Reed is a Family Medicine provider in Hutchinson, Kansas. Dr. Reed and is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Hyperventilation. His top areas of expertise are Parainfluenza, Parainfluenza Virus Type 3, Glucocorticoid-Remediable Aldosteronism, and Familial Hypertension. Dr. Reed is currently accepting new patients.

    Family Medicine
    Family Medicine
    708 Commercial St, 
    Emporia, KS 
     75.5 mi
    Accepting New Patients

    Aaron Watters is a Family Medicine provider in Emporia, Kansas. Dr. Watters and is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Hyperventilation. His top areas of expertise are Dehydration, Labyrinthitis, Costochondritis, and Tietz Syndrome. Dr. Watters is currently accepting new patients.

     
     
     
     
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    Otolaryngology
    Otolaryngology

    Ascentist Management

    2300 Hutton Rd, Suite 106-107, 
    Kansas City, KS 
     165.4 mi
    Accepting New Patients
    Offers Telehealth

    Colleen Johnson is an Otolaryngologist in Kansas City, Kansas. Dr. Johnson and is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Hyperventilation. Her top areas of expertise are Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyps (CRSwNP), Sinusitis, Empyema, and Infant Hearing Loss. Dr. Johnson is currently accepting new patients.

    What are the latest Hyperventilation Clinical Trials?
    Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing Guided Physiotherapy During Pulmonary Rehabilitation in Patients With Dysfunctional Breathing, a Randomized Controlled Trial

    Summary: In this study the efficacy of a pulmonary rehabilitation program tailored to the needs of patients with dysfunctional breathing (DB) will be investigated using cardiopulmonary exercise testing. The pulmonary rehabilitation program will be compared with physiotherapy which is currently the mainstream therapy of DB.

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    Non-Invasive Mapping of Cerebral Autoregulation Using Near Infrared Spectroscopy

    Summary: The investigators propose to employ advanced multi-channel near non-invasive near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) system married with entirely non-invasive continuous arterial blood pressure (niABP) monitor to create a new wearable and portable imaging system that derives CA maps of the entire brain with high sampling rates at each point. The objectives of this project are as follows: 1. To perform i...

    Who are the sources who wrote this article ?

    Published Date: July 25, 2022
    Published By: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Clinical Professor, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

    What are the references for this article ?

    Braithwaite SA, Wessel AL. Dyspnea. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 21.

    Schwartzstein RM, Adams L. Dyspnea. In: Broaddus VC, Ernst JD, King TE, et al, eds. Murray and Nadel's Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 36.