Causes of Respiratory Alkalosis

Respiratory alkalosis occurs when the blood becomes less acidic. One process the body uses to regulate the acidity and alkalinity of blood is respiration. When carbon dioxide is dissolved in the blood, it becomes carbonic acid, which makes the blood more acidic. Breathing expels carbon dioxide and makes the blood more alkaline. When something causes the respiration rate to increase so much that large amounts of carbon dioxide leave the blood, the result is respiratory alkalosis.

Altitude

The brain regulates the rate of respiration based largely on the amount of oxygen in the blood. When blood oxygen levels are low, respiration increases, and when they are high, respiration decreases. When a person travels to a higher altitude, there is less oxygen in the air, which results in less oxygen in the blood. The brain increases the rate of respiration, which does increases the level of oxygen, but which also decreases the level of carbon dioxide. This decrease can be large enough to cause respiratory alkalosis. After spending enough time at the higher altitude, the brain becomes used to the thinner air and the respiratory alkalosis resolves.

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Anxiety

High levels of anxiety can cause a number of physical symptoms, including an increased respiration rate. This increased rate of breathing can be great enough to cause respiratory alkalosis. This phenomena is what people are usually referring to when they say they are "hyperventilating." An easy treatment for hyperventilating involves simply breathing into a bag for a few minutes. The bag retains the expelled carbon dioxide, which goes back into the blood and decreases the respiratory alkalosis.

Anemia

Anemia refers to the loss of red blood cells whose function is to carry oxygen in the blood. When enough red blood cells are lost, usually due to significant bleeding from some source, the blood's ability to carry oxygen is reduced. The brain senses the low oxygen level in the blood and increases respiration, which can lead to respiratory alkalosis. Anemia severe enough to cause respiratory alkalosis causes many other dangerous health problems as well, and needs to be treated with a blood transfusion.