What Can Cause Hyperventilation?

Severe Pain Or Bleeding

Patients experiencing severe pain or bleeding often hyperventilate. In this case, hyperventilation can be caused by panic at having an injury or medical procedure and by the pain itself. For example, some patients with medical phobias who are having blood tests or injections may have episodes of hyperventilation before and during these procedures. Individuals brought in to an emergency room after an accident may also hyperventilate due to the stress of this experience. Medical staff caring for these patients will try to take steps to help them relax and begin breathing at a slower rate. The use of anti-anxiety drugs or sedatives may help patients slow down their breathing. Sometimes, just stopping the bleeding or stitching up a wound will be enough to help a patient normalize their breathing. Many pain-relieving drugs, including morphine, reduce both pain and respiration rates.

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