Hyperventilation (Overbreathing)

Hyperventilation, also known as over-breathing or excessive breathing, is when a person's breathing speeds up and deepens. The person may or may not know they are hyperventilating. Hyperventilating can happen for many reasons, be they emotional or medical.

If it is a first-time episode or you have other symptoms, seek medical care. Treatment is necessary to re-establish proper oxygen and carbon dioxide balance in the blood.

In this article, you will learn more about the symptoms of hyperventilation, what causes a person to hyperventilate, symptoms associated with hyperventilating, and what treatments are available for hyperventilating.

Symptoms of Hyperventilation

Hyperventilating is characterized by rapid and deep breathing. But these are not the only symptoms to be expected. A person may also experience any or all of the following symptoms associated with hyperventilating:

• Feeling as though you can't "catch your breath" or regulate your breathing
• Feeling lightheaded and dizzy
• Physical weakness
• Feeling confused
  
• Chest pains
• Heart palpitations
• Belching
• Bloating
• Dry mouth
• Hand and feet muscle spasms
• Numbness and tingling in the arms or around the mouth
• Sleeping difficulties

Causes of Hyperventilation

People can start hyperventilating for different reasons. Some reasons are emotional while others are considered medical reasons. Understanding why you're experiencing hyperventilation is important for preventing it in the future and addressing underlying medical conditions contributing to it.

Emotional causes of hyperventilation include:

• Stress
• Anxiety
  
• Panic

Medical causes of hyperventilation include:

• Asthma and other respiratory illnesses like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Diabetes ketoacidosis (DKA)
• Hypothermia
• Pregnancy
• Severe pain
• Drug or medication reactions
• Infection

What Medications Can Cause Hyperventilation?

Taking too much of some medications and recreational substances can cause hyperventilation. These include:

• Aspirin
• Asthma medications
• Amphetamine or methamphetamine
• Cocaine
• Iron
• LSD

How to Treat Hyperventilation

The goal of treatment for hyperventilation is the same no matter the cause. Treatment methods revolve around raising your blood levels of carbon dioxide. In addition, there are at-home ways of coping with hyperventilation.

Having someone provide reassuring words and phrases can help calm down your breathing. For example, having a family member or friend say things like "you're doing fine" or "you're not going to die" can help relax your breathing. You can also reassure yourself with these phrases.

Using pursed lip breathing (breathing like you were blowing out a candle) to reduce the amount of oxygen going into the bloodstream is also an effective at-home treatment.

If you live with an anxiety disorder, you can also try engaging in mindful breathing exercises to help prevent hyperventilation. Twice-daily breathing exercises may be more effective and accessible for preventing hyperventilation in people with anxiety disorders than cognitive behavioral therapy.

Are There Tests to Diagnose the Cause of Hyperventilation?

If you see a healthcare provider for the symptom of hyperventilation, they will conduct a physical examination and take your vital signs (breathing rate, temperature, pulse, and blood pressure). They will observe your breathing and how you use your respiratory muscles.

Tests to look for the cause of hyperventilation may include:

• Blood gases: Measures oxygen and carbon dioxide in arterial blood.
• Blood chemistry test: Measures carbon dioxide, glucose, and electrolytes in the blood.
• Complete blood count: Can show evidence of anemia or infection.
• Chest computed tomography (CT scan) and/or chest X-ray
• Electrocardiogram to check your heart rhythm
• Ventilation/perfusion scan of the lungs to measure lung function

When to See a Healthcare Provider

If it is your first time experiencing hyperventilation, consider it a medical emergency and seek help from your healthcare provider. If you are experiencing other symptoms, like fever, bleeding, or pain, those are also signs that it's time to talk to your healthcare provider.

If you have an anxiety disorder and are experiencing more frequent episodes of hyperventilating, this is also a sign it's time to consider speaking with your healthcare provider or a mental health professional. Together, you can determine what may be triggering the increased frequency and how to manage them to prevent hyperventilating.

If hyperventilating is getting worse, even after at-home treatment, it's also a good idea to talk to your healthcare provider.

Summary

Hyperventilating is when a person experiences rapid and deep breathing. Symptoms can include feeling dizzy, weak, and confused. Severe hyperventilation can cause a person to pass out (lose consciousness).

Treatment for hyperventilation is about helping the person lower their blood levels of carbon dioxide and calm their breathing. For people with anxiety, controlled breathing exercises are the way to stop hyperventilating at the moment.