Hyperventilation

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Your doctor will perform a careful physical examination.

To get your medical history, your doctor will ask questions about your symptoms, such as:

• Do you feel short of breath?
• What other symptoms do you have when you are breathing rapidly? Do these symptoms start at any other time (for example, when you are walking or exercising)?
• Do you have any medical conditions, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol?
• What medications do you take?
• What is happening in your life in general? Has it been a particularly stressful time?
• Do you feel anxious or stressed, especially before you start breathing rapidly?
• Are you in pain? What does the pain feel like? How intense is the pain? Where is it located?
• What other symptoms do you have (for example, have you had any bleeding? Are you dizzy?)

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The doctor will assess how rapidly you are breathing at the time of the visit. If you are not breathing quickly, the physician may try to induce hyperventilation by instructing you to breathe a certain way.

While you hyperventilate, the doctor will ask how you feel and watch how you breathe -- including what muscles you are using in your chest wall and surrounding areas.

Tests that may be performed include:

• Blood tests for the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in your blood
• Chest CT scan
• ECG
• Ventilation/perfusion scan of your lungs
• X-rays of the chest

Review Date: 07/22/2010
Reviewed By: Linda Vorvick, MD, Seattle Site Coordinator, Lecturer, Pathophysiology, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).