Why does hyperventilation cause symptoms?
When a person hyperventilates, extra carbon dioxide is lost from the lungs to the atmosphere, and when this happens, the pressure of carbon dioxide in the blood stream also starts to drop. Carbon dioxide is a prime regulator of all bodily systems and so low carbon dioxide pressure causes the body to malfunction in several different ways. Some of the ways that are likely to cause obvious symptoms include: • A state of respiratory alkalosis is created, and as a direct result of this, less oxygen is released to tissue cells (Bohr effect). This means that the body does not have sufficient energy to operate as effectively and efficiently as it usually does. The person is likely to suffer from fatigue, lack of stamina, brain fog, and some kind of malfunction, where the body just doesn’t work as well as it should. • The nervous system becomes agitated, causing irritability, anxiety, insomnia, muscle twitching and restless legs. • Histamine production increases, causing or exacerbating skin an
