Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesTreatmentDiagnosisWhen to See a Healthcare ProviderFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Treatment
Diagnosis
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
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Symptoms of Hyperventilation
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:
Medical causes of hyperventilation include:
If you’re experiencing hyperventilation and do not know why or cannot stop it, it’s an emergency requiring medical attention. People can lose consciousness from hyperventilating. While managing hyperventilating at home, sit down to avoid injury or falling when lightheaded or dizzy.
What Medications Can Cause Hyperventilation?
Taking too much of some medications and recreational substances can cause hyperventilation. These include:
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 mindfulbreathing exercisesto help prevent hyperventilation. Twice-daily breathing exercises may be more effective and accessible for preventing hyperventilation in people withanxiety disordersthan cognitive behavioral therapy.
What Are Alveoli?
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 yourvital 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:
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.
Learn MoreWhat Is Hyperventilation Syndrome?
If you are trying to help someone who is hyperventilating, please remember that you must remain calm. Use a soft tone and slow and gentle movements. Remind them they are safe with you and help them focus on breathing exercises. If you’re unsure how to help, stay with the person, and call 9-1-1.Learn MoreHow to Stop a Panic Attack
If you are trying to help someone who is hyperventilating, please remember that you must remain calm. Use a soft tone and slow and gentle movements. Remind them they are safe with you and help them focus on breathing exercises. If you’re unsure how to help, stay with the person, and call 9-1-1.
Learn MoreHow to Stop a Panic Attack
You may need medical or mental health care to address the underlying cause of hyperventilation. You should always seek a healthcare provider to diagnose what is producing this symptom. Talk to them about safe ways to address it if an episode occurs.
8 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedlinePlus.Hyperventilation.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Hyperventilation.Meuret AE, Ritz T.Hyperventilation in panic disorder and asthma: empirical evidence and clinical strategies.Int J Psychophysiol. 2010;78(1):68-79. doi:10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2010.05.006Gallo de Moraes A, Surani S.Effects of diabetic ketoacidosis in the respiratory system.World J Diabetes. 2019;10(1):16-22. doi:10.4239/wjd.v10.i1.16Tsuji B, Hayashi K, Kondo N, Nishiyasu T.Characteristics of hyperthermia-induced hyperventilation in humans.Temperature (Austin). 2016;3(1):146-160. doi:10.1080/23328940.2016.1143760LoMauro A, Aliverti A.Respiratory physiology of pregnancy: Physiology masterclass.Breathe (Sheff). 2015;11(4):297-301. doi:10.1183/20734735.008615MyHealth.Alberta.ca.Causes of hyperventilation.Meuret AE, Rosenfield D, Seidel A, Bhaskara L, Hofmann SG.Respiratory and cognitive mediators of treatment change in panic disorder: evidence for intervention specificity.J Consult Clin Psychol. 2010;78(5):691-704. doi:10.1037/a0019552
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedlinePlus.Hyperventilation.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Hyperventilation.Meuret AE, Ritz T.Hyperventilation in panic disorder and asthma: empirical evidence and clinical strategies.Int J Psychophysiol. 2010;78(1):68-79. doi:10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2010.05.006Gallo de Moraes A, Surani S.Effects of diabetic ketoacidosis in the respiratory system.World J Diabetes. 2019;10(1):16-22. doi:10.4239/wjd.v10.i1.16Tsuji B, Hayashi K, Kondo N, Nishiyasu T.Characteristics of hyperthermia-induced hyperventilation in humans.Temperature (Austin). 2016;3(1):146-160. doi:10.1080/23328940.2016.1143760LoMauro A, Aliverti A.Respiratory physiology of pregnancy: Physiology masterclass.Breathe (Sheff). 2015;11(4):297-301. doi:10.1183/20734735.008615MyHealth.Alberta.ca.Causes of hyperventilation.Meuret AE, Rosenfield D, Seidel A, Bhaskara L, Hofmann SG.Respiratory and cognitive mediators of treatment change in panic disorder: evidence for intervention specificity.J Consult Clin Psychol. 2010;78(5):691-704. doi:10.1037/a0019552
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
MedlinePlus.Hyperventilation.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Hyperventilation.Meuret AE, Ritz T.Hyperventilation in panic disorder and asthma: empirical evidence and clinical strategies.Int J Psychophysiol. 2010;78(1):68-79. doi:10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2010.05.006Gallo de Moraes A, Surani S.Effects of diabetic ketoacidosis in the respiratory system.World J Diabetes. 2019;10(1):16-22. doi:10.4239/wjd.v10.i1.16Tsuji B, Hayashi K, Kondo N, Nishiyasu T.Characteristics of hyperthermia-induced hyperventilation in humans.Temperature (Austin). 2016;3(1):146-160. doi:10.1080/23328940.2016.1143760LoMauro A, Aliverti A.Respiratory physiology of pregnancy: Physiology masterclass.Breathe (Sheff). 2015;11(4):297-301. doi:10.1183/20734735.008615MyHealth.Alberta.ca.Causes of hyperventilation.Meuret AE, Rosenfield D, Seidel A, Bhaskara L, Hofmann SG.Respiratory and cognitive mediators of treatment change in panic disorder: evidence for intervention specificity.J Consult Clin Psychol. 2010;78(5):691-704. doi:10.1037/a0019552
MedlinePlus.Hyperventilation.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Hyperventilation.
Meuret AE, Ritz T.Hyperventilation in panic disorder and asthma: empirical evidence and clinical strategies.Int J Psychophysiol. 2010;78(1):68-79. doi:10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2010.05.006
Gallo de Moraes A, Surani S.Effects of diabetic ketoacidosis in the respiratory system.World J Diabetes. 2019;10(1):16-22. doi:10.4239/wjd.v10.i1.16
Tsuji B, Hayashi K, Kondo N, Nishiyasu T.Characteristics of hyperthermia-induced hyperventilation in humans.Temperature (Austin). 2016;3(1):146-160. doi:10.1080/23328940.2016.1143760
LoMauro A, Aliverti A.Respiratory physiology of pregnancy: Physiology masterclass.Breathe (Sheff). 2015;11(4):297-301. doi:10.1183/20734735.008615
MyHealth.Alberta.ca.Causes of hyperventilation.
Meuret AE, Rosenfield D, Seidel A, Bhaskara L, Hofmann SG.Respiratory and cognitive mediators of treatment change in panic disorder: evidence for intervention specificity.J Consult Clin Psychol. 2010;78(5):691-704. doi:10.1037/a0019552
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