Hyperventilation

BACKGROUND: Dysfunctional breathing/hyperventilation syndrome (DB/HVS) is a respiratory disorder, psychologically or physiologically based, involving breathing too deeply and/or too rapidly (hyperventilation) or erratic breathing interspersed with breath-holding or sighing (DB). DB/HVS can result in significant patient morbidity and an array of symptoms including breathlessness, chest tightness, dizziness, tremor and paraesthesia.

BACKGROUND: Dysfunctional breathing is described as chronic or recurrent changes in breathing pattern causing respiratory and non-respiratory symptoms. It is an umbrella term that encompasses hyperventilation syndrome and vocal cord dysfunction. Dysfunctional breathing affects 10% of the general population. Symptoms include dyspnoea, chest tightness, sighing and chest pain which arise secondary to alterations in respiratory pattern and rate. Little is known about dysfunctional breathing in children.

BACKGROUND: Sustained and subtle hyperventilation can result in a wide variety of symptoms, leading to a chronic condition that has been termed hyperventilation syndrome (HVS). Treatment options include physiotherapy, in the form of breathing retraining (BR), but additional approaches aim to reduce the anxiety that is recognized as being a frequent component of this condition.

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Hyperventilation in asthmatic subjects causes airways obstruction as demonstrated by a fall in the Forced Expiratory Volume in one second. Clinically, measurements of blood gases during asthmatic attacks have shown that asthmatic subjects, who hyperventilate have a blood carbon dioxide level below normal unless ventilatory failure occurs. Two methods of demonstrating that asthmatic subjects hyperventilate on the thought of asthma were employed. 1. Chronic asthmatic subjects had their respiratory minute volume measured during relaxation and at the recall of an asthmatic attack.