Hyperventilation

Hyperventilation occurs when an individual experiences emotional stress, fright, or pain, causing an abnormal increase in the rate and depth of breathing despite already having reduced levels of carbon dioxide in the blood. As a result, there is an excessive loss of carbon dioxide from the body, which can lead to unconsciousness due to the respiratory system’s overriding mechanism to regain control of breathing. Symptoms of hyperventilation include light-headedness, suffocation, drowsiness, tingling in the extremities, and coolness. Proper management of hyperventilation involves addressing the underlying emotional stress and providing breathing techniques to decrease the breathing rate and increase the amount of carbon dioxide in the blood.