Hyperventilation

Condition

• Hyperventilation 

Main features

• Usually related to anxiety and depression 
• Main symptoms 
• breathlessness
• palpitations
• sweating
• dry mouth with aerophagy 
• agitation 
• fatigue and malaise 
• Other symptoms 
• paraesthesia of the extremities
• perioral paraesthesia
• carpopedal spasm 

Management 

• As per treatment of anxiety or depression 
• reassuring Susan that there is no serious physical underlying cause, but ensure careful follow up 
• Advising susan to consciously slow down her respiratory rate and encouraging her to identify the cause, and the control the rate and depth of her breathing 
• breath into a paper bag

Reference

• RACGP Check program dizziness 2011