What happens when your lungs are full of carbon dioxide?
A high carbon dioxide level can cause rapid breathing and confusion. Some people who have respiratory failure may become very sleepy or lose consciousness. They also may have arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat). You may have these symptoms if your brain and heart are not getting enough oxygen.
What causes carbon dioxide buildup in lungs?
Hypercapnia, or hypercarbia, is a condition that arises from having too much carbon dioxide in the blood. It is often caused by hypoventilation or disordered breathing where not enough oxygen enters the lungs and not enough carbon dioxide is emitted.
How is carbon dioxide removed from the lungs?
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a waste product of cellular metabolism. You get rid of it when you breathe out (exhale). This gas is transported in the opposite direction to oxygen: It passes from the bloodstream – across the lining of the air sacs – into the lungs and out into the open.
What does it mean when your carbon dioxide is high?
Higher levels of carbon dioxide may mean you have: Metabolic alkalosis, or too much bicarbonate in your blood. Cushing disease. Hyperaldosteronism, an adrenal gland problem.
What are the symptoms of CO2 retention?
Symptoms of Hypercapnia
- Anxiety.
- Shortness of breath.
- Daytime sluggishness.
- Headache.
- Daytime sleepiness even when you slept a lot at night (your doctor might call this hypersomnolence)
What happens if carbon dioxide is not removed from the body?
Respiratory acidosis occurs when the lungs can’t remove enough of the carbon dioxide (CO2) that the body produces. Excess CO2 causes the pH of your blood and other bodily fluids to decrease, making them too acidic. Usually, the body is able to balance the ions that control acidity.
Can sleep apnea cause high CO2 levels?
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – People who suffer from the nighttime breathing disorder known as sleep apnea may develop high levels of carbon dioxide in the blood during the daytime — a condition known as hypercapnia, Japanese researchers have found.