Causes
Stress or anxiety commonly are causes of hyperventilation; this is known as hyperventilation syndrome. Hyperventilation can also be brought about voluntarily, by taking many deep breaths in rapid succession. Hyperventilation can also occur as a consequence of various lung diseases, head injury, or stroke (central neurogenic hyperventilation, apneustic respirations, ataxic respiration, Cheyne-Stokes respirations or Biot's respiration) and various lifestyle causes. In the case of metabolic acidosis, the body uses hyperventilation as a compensatory mechanism to decrease acidity of the blood. In the setting of diabetic ketoacidosis, this is known as Kussmaul breathing - characterized by long, deep breaths.
Hyperventilation can also occur when someone exercises over their VO2 max, when they're unable to transform oxygen into energy beyond a certain level but hyperventilates in an effort to do so. The VO2 max is a representative of the aerobic capacity or potential taken during the exercise of large duration and low intensity, for example the marathon a resistance exercise (from 30 minutes to hours). It is most high rate of oxygen consumption reached during the realization of maximum and large duration exercises.
If the intensity of exercise is increased to overpass the VO2 max. of an individual the consumption of oxygen will be stabilized lightly and the body utilizes others anaerobic energy substrate, e.g. hepatic glycogen (a polisaccharides which stores glucose in the liver) through the glycolysis process to complete the race; considered also as the process of Umbral of the anaerobic metabolism.
As the result of the above mentioned process there will be an increment of lactic acid and carbon dioxide in the blood and hence decreases the pH of the blood due to the high level of hydrogen ion. Carbon dioxide is transported as bicarbonate ion to the blood during the gaseous exchange (oxygen and carbon dioxide) between alveolus and blood capillaries through the respiratory membrane. The increase of the level of carbon dioxide in the blood reflect the metabolism more anaerobic called anaerobic umbral(R) by (Wasserman and Mclllory) and hence provoke the Hyperventilation.
In very general terms, hyperventilation is an increased alveolar ventilation. This not to be confused with the term hyperpnea which pertains to an increased minute ventilation.
Hyperventilation is not the same as hyperpnea. In hyperpnea, increased ventilation is appropriate for a metabolic acidotic state, this is also known as respiratory compensation. Whereas in hyperventilation, increased ventilation is inappropriate for the metabolic state of blood plasma.
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