Hyperventilation

Both sleep apnea and snoring occur due to incorrect breathing, specifically over breathing or hyperventilation.

Central sleep apnea is caused by dysfunction in the part of the brain that controls breathing.

The brain stem is very sensitive to changes in the blood level of carbon dioxide.

The brain stem signals the respiratory muscles to breathe harder and faster to remove carbon dioxide through exhalation and vice versa when the level is high.

The brain stem is less sensitive to changes in the carbon dioxide level in central sleep apnea . As the brain stem responds slowly to the buildup of carbon dioxide in the blood, your body’s response is exaggerated, resulting in prolonged hyperventilation.

Hyperventilation is defined as breathing deeper and more rapid than normal. It causes decrease in the amount of carbon dioxide in the blood.

Hyperventilation syndrome:

Hyperventilation syndrome or hyperventilation is a condition in which minute ventilation exceeds metabolic demands, resulting in chemical and hemodynamic changes that produce characteristic symptoms.

Hyperventilation syndrome is a breathing disorder that affects one in ten people in normal population. Hyperventilation syndrome holds the key to a wide range of health problems when it is unrecognized.

Symptoms of hyperventilation:

The decrease in the amount of co2 makes you feel lightheaded, have a rapid heartbeat and short of breath. It can also lead to tingling or numbness in your hands and feet, anxiety, fainting and sore chest muscles. You have difficulty in swallowing, dry mouth fatigue, and dizziness.

Other symptoms of hyperventilation are headache, sweating, problems with concentration of memory, vision changes and bloating.

Causes of hyperventilation syndrome:

The causes of this syndrome include fever, anxiety, intense exercise, medications and emotional stress. It can also occur due to asthma, head injury or emphysema.

It occurs mostly in people who are nervous, tensed, breathe shallowly and have medical conditions like lung disorders. Women experience this syndrome more than men. It also occurs when people travel to elevations over 6000 ft.

Acute or sudden hyperventilation is triggered by anxiety, stress and emotional upset. Chronic or recurrent hyperventilation results in people who have other diseases like lung cancer, asthma and emphysema.

Hyperventilation diagnosis:

The diagnosis of hyperventilation can be done by the forced test of over breathing. Sit and breathe deeply through your mouth as if you are running.

You will develop unpleasant symptoms within 30 to 40 seconds which include dizziness, cough, wheeze and palpitations. If you get the symptoms troublesome, you have hyperventilation.

Hyperventilation treatment:

Treatment for this condition depends on the cause. For mild symptoms, home treatment is enough. If you do not have chronic fatigue syndrome, physical exercise can be helpful.

Physical exercise reduces your hyperventilation. Breathing exercises should be employed to control symptoms on long term basis.

You must always breathe through your nose. Therefore it increases the amount of air which is exhaled and immediately re-inhaled relatively rich in carbon dioxide.

Breathe less deeply and more slowly. Initially, you feel to breathe more, but you should neglect it. If you have recurrent hyperventilation syndrome, medical treatment is needed which includes stress reduction measures and medications.