Hyperventilation
What is it?
Hyperventilation Care Guide
Hyperventilation (hi-per-ven-tuh-lay-shun) is when your breathing is out of balance and the amounts of gases change in your blood. One of these gases is carbon dioxide (di-oks-ide). With hyperventilation, the amount of carbon dioxide in the blood drops.
Causes:
Hyperventilation may be caused by anxiety, stress, or panic. Other causes may include medicines, imbalances in the chemicals in your body, and eating or drinking too much caffeine.
Signs and Symptoms:
You may have shortness of breath, fast breathing, weakness, or dizziness. Another sign is slow, deep sighing breathes that make you feel like you need to yawn a lot. Other signs may be feeling faint or having numbness and tingling around the mouth, hands, and feet. Or you may have muscle tightness in your hands and feet. You may have blurred vision or feel like your heart is racing. Also, you may feel a loss of control of your emotions or a sense of panic.
Care:
During a hyperventilation attack slow your breathing. Learn to control your stress in new ways. Deep breathing, relaxing muscles, meditation, or biofeedback exercises may help you control stress. Talk to someone about things that upset you. You may need counseling if hyperventilation attacks are a problem.
Care Agreement
You have the right to help plan your care. Learn about your health condition and how it may be treated. Discuss treatment options with your caregivers to decide what care you want to receive. You always have the right to refuse treatment.
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The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.
