What Can Cause Hyperventilation?

Hyperventilation develops when an individual breathes too quickly. The condition results in a patient exhaling more than they inhale, and this reduces the levels of carbon dioxide in the body. Symptoms of hyperventilation include dry mouth, muscle spasms, numbness or tingling in the hands, a rapid heartbeat, dizziness, weakness, shortness of breath, and chest pain. Occasionally, an episode of hyperventilation may last as long as twenty to thirty minutes. To treat hyperventilation, patients may wish to try to slow their respiration rate by breathing into a paper bag, breathing through pursed lips, and breathing through the nostrils or diaphragm.