Hyperventilation

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Hyperventilation

• Pat Confer

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What is Hyperventilation?

• Hyperventilation (hyperpnea) or over breathing is
  a type of breathing in which breaths are taken at
  a faster rate or breaths become much deeper than
  normal.

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Physiology of Hyperventilation

• Increases in the breathing rate results in more
  carbon dioxide withdraw from the blood.
• During this carbonic acid levels lower in the
  blood and raise the pH value of the blood.
• This decrease in CO2 is known as hypocapnia
• Low levels of carbon CO2 cause blood vessels to
  constrict resulting in a number of different
  consequences.

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Symptoms of Hyperventilation

• shortness of breath, belching, bloating, dry
  mouth, weakness, numbness and tingling in your
  arms or around your mouth, muscle spasms in hands
  and feet, chest pain, various lung diseases,
  palpitations
• dizziness or lightheadedness, confusion, sleep
  disturbances, stroke

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Causes of Hyperventilation

• Anxiety and nervousness
• stress
• panic attack
• stimulant use
• lung disease such as asthma, chronic obstructive
  pulmonary disease(COPD), or pulmonary embolism
  (blood clot in the lung)

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Causes continued

• infection such as pneumonia or sepsis
• cardiac disease such as congestive heart failure
  or heart attack
• severe pain
• bleeding
• drugs (such as an aspirin overdose)
• pregnancy
• ketoacidosis and similar medical conditions

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Psychology of Hyperventilation

• Often brought upon by stress and/or anxiety
• Often seen in cases of anxiety disorders. Such
  disorders include
• panic disorder
• generalized anxiety disorder
• specific phobia
• social phobia
• acute stress disorder

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Psychology Continued

• Hyperventilation is also associated with
  different other anxiety disorders classified by
  the DMS-IV
• adjustment disorders with anxious features
• anxiety disorders due to general medical
  conditions
• substance-induced anxiety disorders
• residual category of anxiety disorder not
  otherwise specified

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Fight or Flight

• Hyperventilation can be seen as a fight or flight
  response.
• It is possible that this biological response is
  an effort by the body to prepare for flight or
  fight
• The increase of O2 in the blood coupled with the
  decrease of CO2 in the blood would allow for
  better muscular response.

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Anticipatory Response

• It is hypothesized that hyperventilation onset
  occurs before the stimulus.
• Thus hyperventilation can be seen as an
  anticipatory response in which the brain
  anticipates the undesired stimulus and prepares
  the body for that stimulus.
• Comparable to the flight or fight response.

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The Fear Cycle
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Immediate Treatment

• Relaxation techniques
• Breathing into a paper bag is not recommended

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Treatment Continued

• Doctors will often perform tests to determine
  whether hyperventilation is psychological or
  physiological
• Tests include
• Arterial blood sample
• Chest x-ray
• Ventilation/perfusion scan
• Chest CT scan
• ECG

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Spirometers

• Devices used to determine lung functioning
• Comes in several different varieties.
• A spirometer measures both the amount of air
  expelled and how quickly the air was expelled
  from the lungs.
• Spirometers display a volume-time curve.
• Results are compared to the average expected in
  someone of the same age, height, sex, and race,
  according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood
  Institute (NHLBI)

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Spirometers
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References

• http//www.sonicsafety.com/images/spirometer/Ezw2-
  engl.gif
• http//images.amazon.com/images/P/B000E1DD9A.01-AN
  I9Y4RP0HQDJ._SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg
• http//www.hagamedical.nl/rimg0051.jpg
• http//www.sj-medical.com/images/reliant_I_spirome
  ter.jpg
• Black, S (2005). Hyperventilation. Retrieved
  November 26, 2006, Web site http//www.dwfchp.sco
  t.nhs.uk/article/uploaded/hyperventilation.pdf
• (2006). Hyperventilation. Retrieved November 26,
  2006, from Wikipedia Web site http//en.wikipedia
  .org/wiki/Hyperventilation
• Kaufman, D (2006). Rapid deep breathing
  (hyperventilation). Retrieved November 26, 2006,
  from MedlinePlus Web site http//www.nlm.nih.gov/
  medlineplus/ency/article/003071.htm
• (2006). Hyperventilation. Retrieved November 26,
  2006, from WebMD Web site http//www.emedicinehea
  lth.com/hyperventilation/page5_em.htmExams20and
  20Tests
• (2006). Spirometers. Retrieved November 26, 2006,
  from Oregon Health and Science University Web
  site http//www.ohsuhealth.com/htaz/respire/spiro
  meters.cfm