Hypercapnia, also referred to as hypercarbia, is a medical term for the condition characterized by high carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the bloodstream which may lead to many potentially serious complications.
However, hypercapnia isn’t typically considered a standalone disease but is mainly a sign of another more serious issue. Also, it can occur either suddenly or exist in a chronic form, when it is a result of sleep apnea, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or other sleep disorders.
To learn more about hypercapnia including the causes, symptoms, prevention, and treatment, continue reading this article.
Hypercapnia Symptoms
Depending on the cause, i.e., the underlying health issue, symptoms of hypercapnia can vary in severity. Still, there are some common symptoms including:
- Shallow breathing
- Difficulty breathing
- Wheezing
- Confusion
- Altered consciousness
- Fatigue
- Sleepiness
- Flushed skin
- Excessive sweating
- Fever
- Nausea
- Headache
- Irritability
In addition, these could also be symptoms of another underlying condition. So, if you notice any of the above-listed symptoms ensure you consult a doctor because often, but not always, hypercapnia leads to a lack of oxygen which could be serious.
Hypercapnia Causes
As already said, hypercapnia is characterized by elevated carbon dioxide levels in the blood caused by other conditions like breathing issues, excessive metabolism, and rarely from breathing in too much CO2.
When it comes to metabolism, it’s key to understand that carbon dioxide is a byproduct of metabolism itself. For instance, fever, steroid use, exercise, or overeating could all lead to raised CO2 production. But, when such events are accompanied by a compromised or weak respiratory system the levels of carbon dioxide in the blood can get pretty high.
Precisely speaking, breathing issues impede the body’s ability to regulate oxygen and CO2 levels known as ventilatory failure. This is pretty common in illnesses like COPD, asthma, Guillain-Barre syndrome, drug overdose, or some physical problems with the respiratory system.
Hypercapnia and Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by breathing interruptions during sleep which causes hypercapnia at night, and less commonly during the day. There are two main types of the disorder, obstructive sleep apnea caused by obstructed airways, and central sleep apnea caused by the brain’s disability to send the right signals to the respiratory system.
Hypercapnia and Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome
Another condition that causes hypercapnia is obesity hypoventilation syndrome. People with this disease experience breathing issues during sleep which may eventually progress and continue during the waking hours as well.
Hypercapnia Treatment
In most cases, the main goal of hypercapnia treatment is managing and treating the underlying condition that results in elevated carbon dioxide levels.
That said, if you experience hypercapnia as a result of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, for example, you should first treat this condition by avoiding exposure to smoke and taking your prescribed medications.
Similarly, if you suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, you should introduce some lifestyle changes like losing weight if you are obese or overweight, quitting smoking if you do so, and avoiding alcohol or sedative consumption close to bedtime.
Finally, if you’ve developed moderate or severe hypercapnia, you may be recommended to use a breathing device featuring a face mask that blows pressurized air to help you keep the airway open and thus help the body naturally remove the excess carbon dioxide.
Mechanical ventilation is also possible but a more invasive alternative to breathing devices. This includes inserting a tube into the windpipe so that a machine blows air in and out of the lungs. And, if this doesn’t work, extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal might come into consideration, a newer treatment that eliminates CO2 directly from the blood.