Hyperventilation Syndrome
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Basics
Description
- Hyperventilation syndrome describes a constellation of symptoms:
- Most commonly: Dyspnea, chest pain, lightheadedness, and paresthesias
- Produced by a nonphysiologic increase in minute ventilation:
- Minute ventilation may be increased by increasing respiratory rate or tidal volume (sighs)
- Pathologic or physiologic causes of hyperventilation must be excluded before the diagnosis of hyperventilation syndrome can be assigned
- Prevalence:
- 10–15% in the general population
- May be more common in women
- 25–83% in patients with an anxiety disorder
Etiology
- Usually a response to psychological stressors
- Etiology of symptoms is unclear
- Underlying disorders that may contribute to hyperventilation:
- Hypocapnia
- Hypophosphatemia
- Hypocalcemia
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Basics
Description
- Hyperventilation syndrome describes a constellation of symptoms:
- Most commonly: Dyspnea, chest pain, lightheadedness, and paresthesias
- Produced by a nonphysiologic increase in minute ventilation:
- Minute ventilation may be increased by increasing respiratory rate or tidal volume (sighs)
- Pathologic or physiologic causes of hyperventilation must be excluded before the diagnosis of hyperventilation syndrome can be assigned
- Prevalence:
- 10–15% in the general population
- May be more common in women
- 25–83% in patients with an anxiety disorder
Etiology
- Usually a response to psychological stressors
- Etiology of symptoms is unclear
- Underlying disorders that may contribute to hyperventilation:
- Hypocapnia
- Hypophosphatemia
- Hypocalcemia
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