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hyperventilation
(hi″pәr-ven″tĭ-la´shәn)
abnormally fast and deep breathing; it can be the result of either an emotional state or a physiological condition. Emotional causes include acute anxiety and emotional tension; unrecognized hyperventilation is a common cause of the symptoms associated with chronic anxiety or
panic attacks. Physiological causes include a sudden fall in intracranial pressure, other neurologic problems, and metabolic, pulmonary, and cardiovascular conditions. More prolonged hyperventilation may
be caused by certain disorders of the central nervous system, or by drugs that increase the sensitivity of the respiratory centers.
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