Wait for an ambulance. Do not try to drive yourself. Home treatment may help you control your breathing and stop hyperventilation. First, sit down and concentrate on your breathing. Always try measures to control your breathing or belly-breathe first. If these techniques don't work and you don't have other health problems, you might try breathing in and out of a paper bag that covers your nose and mouth. Call your doctor if any of the following occur during home treatment:.
To prepare for your appointment, see the topic Making the Most of Your Appointment. You can help your doctor diagnose and treat your condition by being prepared to answer the following questions:. While waiting for your appointment, it may be helpful to keep a diary of your symptoms.
Blahd Jr. Author: Healthwise Staff. Medical Review: William H. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. Learn how we develop our content. To learn more about Healthwise, visit Healthwise. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.
Updated visitor guidelines. You are here Home » Hyperventilation. Topic Overview Hyperventilation is breathing that is deeper and more rapid than normal. In many cases, hyperventilation can be controlled by learning proper breathing techniques. Symptoms of hyperventilation Symptoms of hyperventilation usually last 20 to 30 minutes and may include: Feeling anxious, nervous, or tense.
Frequent sighing or yawning. Feeling that you can't get enough air air hunger or need to sit up to breathe. A pounding and racing heartbeat. Problems with balance, lightheadedness , or vertigo. Numbness or tingling in the hands, feet, or around the mouth. Chest tightness, fullness, pressure, tenderness, or pain.
These symptoms can include: Headache. Gas, bloating, or burping. Vision changes, such as blurred vision or tunnel vision. Problems with concentration or memory. Loss of consciousness fainting. Check Your Symptoms Do you have problems with hyperventilation? How old are you? Less than 12 years. Are you male or female? Why do we ask this question? The medical assessment of symptoms is based on the body parts you have.
If you are transgender or nonbinary, choose the sex that matches the body parts such as ovaries, testes, prostate, breasts, penis, or vagina you now have in the area where you are having symptoms.
If you have some organs of both sexes, you may need to go through this triage tool twice once as "male" and once as "female". This will make sure that the tool asks the right questions for you. Have you noticed irregular heartbeats or heart rate changes even when you are not hyperventilating? Do you think there could be a breathing problem other than hyperventilation? Do you think you have a breathing problem other than hyperventilation?
Did you pass out completely lose consciousness? If you are answering for someone else: Is the person unconscious now? Are you back to your normal level of alertness? After passing out, it's normal to feel a little confused, weak, or lightheaded when you first wake up or come to.
But unless something else is wrong, these symptoms should pass pretty quickly and you should soon feel about as awake and alert as you normally do. Did the loss of consciousness occur during the past 24 hours?
Could you be having symptoms of a heart attack? If you're having a heart attack, there are several areas where you may feel pain or other symptoms. Are you having trouble breathing more than a stuffy nose? Would you describe the problem as severe, moderate, or mild? Can you control your breathing? Some people can control their hyperventilation by breathing into a paper bag or using different breathing techniques. Do you feel lightheaded or dizzy, like you are going to faint?
It's normal for some people to feel a little lightheaded when they first stand up. But anything more than that may be serious.
Are you still hyperventilating after 30 minutes of home treatment? Do you hyperventilate often? Does the problem interfere with your daily activities? Are you having more frequent or severe problems with hyperventilation? Have you had problems with hyperventilation for more than a week? These include: Your age. Babies and older adults tend to get sicker quicker. Your overall health. If you have a condition such as diabetes, HIV, cancer, or heart disease, you may need to pay closer attention to certain symptoms and seek care sooner.
Medicines you take. Certain medicines, such as blood thinners anticoagulants , medicines that suppress the immune system like steroids or chemotherapy, herbal remedies, or supplements can cause symptoms or make them worse.
Recent health events , such as surgery or injury. These kinds of events can cause symptoms afterwards or make them more serious. Your health habits and lifestyle , such as eating and exercise habits, smoking, alcohol or drug use, sexual history, and travel. Instead, it is a symptom of another condition or the result of emotional distress. One of the most common causes of hyperventilation is emotional distress, including panic, fear, or anxiety.
One study of people experiencing hyperventilation found that the most common additional symptom was fear. About half of the people in the study also had a psychiatric condition. Some types of infections in the body can lead to hyperventilation. Infections such as pneumonia can cause swelling and a buildup of fluid in the lungs, which could lead to fast breathing. The brain plays an essential role in controlling breathing.
If a person has a head injury, it can lead to changes in the breathing rate, including hyperventilation. Additional symptoms of a head injury include a headache, nausea, and confusion.
Anyone with a serious head injury should see a doctor immediately. Certain lung diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD and asthma , can make breathing more difficult. The airways may narrow, making someone work harder to get air into the lungs, which could lead to rapid breathing.
If a lung disease causes hyperventilation, symptoms may also include wheezing, chest pain, and coughing. Diabetic ketoacidosis is a complication of diabetes. It can occur if the body does not have enough insulin for energy and burns fat instead.
If the body relies on fats for too long, byproducts called ketones can build up in the body. Hyperventilation is one of the symptoms of diabetic ketoacidosis. Other symptoms include nausea, excessive thirst, and frequent urination. When a person is at a high altitude, the air pressure and oxygen level decrease, which can make breathing more difficult.
At a high altitude, the lungs have to work harder to get oxygen into the body. At an altitude of around 8, feet, a low oxygen level may lead to breathing problems, including hyperventilation. In some people, hyperventilation may start at elevations lower than 8, feet. For example, people with asthma may have respiratory problems at lower altitudes. They may carry out a physical exam and ask a person about their medical history. A chest X-ray and blood tests can help diagnose some causes of hyperventilation, such as infections.
An arterial blood gas test measures the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood. This overbreathing, as it is sometimes called, may actually leave you feeling breathless. When you breathe, you inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. Excessive breathing may lead to low levels of carbon dioxide in your blood, which causes many of the symptoms that you may feel if you hyperventilate.
Shortness of breath. The goal in treating hyperventilation is to raise the carbon dioxide level in the blood. There are several ways to do this:.
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