Respiratiory alkalosis is a condition that arises when a person continuously breathes too fast. To test to see if this rapid breathing is affecting the blood stream a doctor will perform a blood test called an arterial blood gas that measures the level of carbon dioxide in the blood and an x-ray to see if there is any lung damage.
Identification
The human body uses acids for various functions and it regulates the level of acid through the kidneys and the lungs. The kidneys help regulate the acid level by releasing excess acid in the form of urine, and the lungs regulate acid in the body by releasing excess acid in the form of carbon dioxide. Respiratiory alkalosis is a condition that occurs when a person breathes too rapidly, also known as hyperventilation, and this excessive breathing causes the carbon dioxide level in the blood to drop. This lowers the body's acid levels and can cause medical complications as the exhaling continues but there is decreasing levels of carbon dioxide to release.
Effects
The initial effects of respiratiory alkalosis center around the lack of the proper chemicals in the blood due to the rapid release of carbon dioxide. These symptoms include dizziness that could lead to fainting and a tingling sensation in the hands and feet. As the blood continues to struggle with the carbon dioxide levels the tingling in the hands and feet may begin to develop into a numbness.
Potential
As respiratiory alkalosis advances, new symptoms appear. These symptoms include sharp chest pains, rapid heartbeat, painful muscle cramps that may be accompanied by spasms or muscle twitching and seizures. The heart will continue to struggle to supply blood to the rest of the body and the lack of blood to the brain will begin to cause psychological symptoms such as anxiety, irritability and a sense of confusion even with simple daily tasks.
Prevention/Solution
To treat respiratiory alkalosis, it is sometimes necessary to help the body get the carbon dioxide it needs. In these cases a doctor may recommend that the person breathe into a paper bag to help recycle the carbon dioxide that is escaping and get breathing back to normal, or the person may be given a mask that supplies carbon dioxide directly from a breathing tank. Once the level of carbon dioxide has been restored, the symptoms will normally go away.
Considerations
One of the more common causes of respiratiory alkalosis is stress or anxiety. In many cases respiratiory alkalosis is better known as an anxiety attack. Since the continued lack of carbon dioxide is a dangerous situation, a doctor may try to treat the condition by either offering advice on reducing the anxiety or use medications that will help to keep the person calm and breathing normally.
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