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Hyperventilation is over-breathing, breathing more than is necessary to meet the body’s requirements. Excessive breathing leads to low levels of carbon dioxide in the blood, which causes many of the symptoms that occur in hyperventilation. This reduced level of carbon dioxide causes the arteries to constrict, reducing the flow of blood throughout the body. When this occurs, the brain and body will experience a shortage of oxygen.

Hyperventilation may occur due to a number of causes, often related to anxiety, fear or irrational emotional outbursts. Over-breathing is a perfectly normal reaction to any stressful situation. Generally, when the event has passed, breathing will return to a normal rate.

Sometimes, as a result of prolonged stress or a physical trigger, a continual pattern of over-breathing can occur, whereby the breathing pattern does not return to a normal level.

Reassuring the casualty and a calm approach often quickly relieves the condition.

• rapid deep respirations
• rapid pulse
• a feeling of shortness of breath
• pressure, tightness or pain across the chest
• anxiety
• dry mouth
• blurred vision

In Extreme Cases Which Have Ccontinued For Some Time

• ‘tingling’ in fingers and toes
• hand and finger spasms and pain
• fainting

• reassurance
• remove the cause of anxiety, if possible
• if fainted, lay casualty flat with legs elevated
• call ‘000’ for an ambulance if no improvement

Not every casualty who is breathing rapidly is suffering from hyperventilation due to anxiety. In some cases the rapid respirations may be a sign of another, more serious, medical condition. It is important to eliminate more serious causes of rapid breathing, such as asthma.

Re-breathing into a paper bag is not recommended. Deaths have occurred in patients with heart conditions, pneumothorax, or pulmonary embolism mis-diagnosed as hyperventilation and treated with paper bag re-breathing.