Hyperventilation syndrome
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Synonyms and keywords: Rapid deep breathing; breathing - rapid and deep; overbreathing; fast deep breathing; respiratory rate - rapid and deep; HVS
Overview
The respiratory alkalosis leads to changes in the way the nervous system fires and leads to the paresthesia, dizziness, and perceptual changes that often accompany this condition.
A rapid traditional intervention is to have the patient breathe into a paper bag, causing rebreathing and restoration of CO2 levels. Some physicians do not advise the paper bag rebreathing method due to the possibility of inhaling too much carbon dioxide.
The same benefits can be obtained from deliberately slowing down the breathing rate by counting or looking at a the second hand on a watch. This is often referred to as "7-11 breathing", because a gentle inhalation is stretched out to take 7 seconds (or counts), and the exhalation is slowed to take 11 seconds.