Signs and Symptoms of Respiratoy Alkalosis:

Respiratory alkalosis symptoms are usually related to the underlying disease. Most respiratory Alkalosis patients feel somewhat dizzy, out of breath, and light-headed. Many patients experience numbness in their hands and feet, and in some cases, even a feeling of being somewhat disoriented or confused.

Other symptoms may include chest pain, dyspnea, hypochloremia, hyponatremia, paresthesias, seizures, syncope, tetany, breathing discomfort, tightness in the chest, tachycardia, tachypnea, and in some cases, positive Chvostek and Trousseau signs may also be present.

What Causes Respiratory Alkalosis?

Most common respiratory Alkalosis causes include Anxiety, Cerebrovascular event, Encephalitis, Fever, Heat exhaustion, Hepatic failure, Hyperactive thyroid, Hyperventilation syndrome, Hypoxemia, Interstitial lung disease, Mechanical ventilation, Meningitis, Pneumonia, Pneumothorax, Psychosis, Pulmonary edema, Pulmonary embolism, Sepsis, Trauma, and Tumor.

Pathophysiology of Respiratory Alklosis:

As a result of metabolism, our body produces two kinds of acids: volatile acid (carbon dioxide) and nonvolatile acid. Usually, the body maintains the appropriate pH levels (by keeping PaCO2 in the range of 39-41 mm of Hg) by properly regulating the amount of CO2 (volatile acid) we exhale. However, when an excessive amount of volatile acid (CO2) is excreted/exhaled, the acid level gets depleted -resulting in Respiratory Alklosis.

Acute Respiratory Alklosis and Chronic Respiratory Alklosis have distinctly different serum bicarbonate ([ HCO3- ]) concentration levels. For example, in the case of Acute Respiratory Alkalosis, a decrease of 10 mm of Hg in the PaCO2 causes [ HCO3- ] to be depleted by 2 mEq/L. In case of chronic alklosis, however, the corresponding loss of [ HCO3- ] is usually in the range of 5 mEq/L for each decrease of 10 mm Hg in the PaCO2.

Respiratory Alkalosis Diagnosis:

Diagnosis of Respiratory Alkalosis may involve Arterial blood gas level evaluation, Blood culture, Brain MRI, Complete blood cell count, Liver function tests, Serum analysis, Sputum culture, Urine culture evaluation, Chest x-rays, and CT scan. Sometimes diagnostic procedures such as a lumbar puncture (if CNS infectious processes are suspected), or a cytologic analysis (in case of meningeal metastasis) may also be necessary.

Treatment for Respiratory Alkalosis:

Even though treatment for respiratory Alkalosis is primarly determined by the underlying disease that causes hyperventilation, asking the patient to breathe using a paper bag (recycling of exhaled CO2 gas) not only helps promptly restore blood CO2 level, it also provides almost immediate symptomatic relief.

Respiratory Alkalosis Prognosis/Expectation:

The overall prognosis of a respiratory Alkalosis patient largely depends upon the severity/stage of the underlying disease. Even though Respiratory Alkalosis (hypocapnia) is rarely a life-threatening disease, it is important to note that it may be caused by a serious underlying health condition. It is essential, therefore, that the patient undergoes a careful evaluation for identifying the underlying cause, and recieves appropriate treatment for the same.

Don't forget to check out Lung Disease News section of this website for the latest Respiratory Alkalosis (hypocapnia) Treatment News and our Lung Disease Articles Library for the latest Respiratory Alkalosis / Hypocapnia related Articles.

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