Hyperventilation syndrome may be caused from things such as:

• Anxiety or panic (most common)

• Pregnancy

• Bleeding

• Infection

• Certain heart and lung problems

Symptoms can include:

• Fast or deep breathing

• Shortness of breath or the feeling that you can’t get enough air

• Anxiety, fear, panic, or strong feeling of dread or doom

• Dizziness

• Chest pain or squeezing in the chest

• Fast, pounding, or skipping heartbeat

• Sweating

• Numbness or tingling around the mouth and in the fingers

• Muscle cramps in the hands or feet

Treatment is focused on getting your breathing rate and the carbon dioxide level in your blood back to normal. If you are being treated in a hospital or healthcare provider’s office, the following may be done:

• A healthcare provider may check the level of oxygen in your blood with a pulse oximeter.

• A nurse or other healthcare provider will talk with you and help you to stay calm.

• You may be asked to try different breathing exercises, such as pursed-lip breathing. This helps slow down your breathing. You may also be asked to hold your breath for short periods.

• If needed, you may be told to breathe into a tube.

• You may also be given medicine to help you relax.

To help prevent episodes in the future, you may be told to try:

• Breathing exercises

• Relaxation methods such as meditation or progressive muscle relaxation

• Regular exercise

• Counseling or medicines to help manage an anxiety or panic disorder

If the level of carbon dioxide becomes dangerously low, this is called hypocapnia. It can upset the acid-base balance in the blood. It can cause problems such as fainting and seizures.

Other possible complications of hyperventilation syndrome will vary depending on the cause.

Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these:

• Fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, or as directed by your healthcare provider

• Symptoms that don’t get better with treatment, or symptoms that get worse

• New symptoms