Hyperventilation is breathing that is faster or deeper than the body requires, causing carbon dioxide levels in the blood to fall. It can result from anxiety or panic, but also from serious conditions such as infection, lung disease, metabolic disturbances, or response to pain, so it should never be dismissed without assessment.

In resuscitation, excessive ventilation is specifically harmful: delivering too many breaths or too much volume raises pressure in the chest, reduces blood return to the heart, and lowers the effectiveness of chest compressions. For this reason, CPR guidelines emphasize controlled, measured breaths that produce just visible chest rise rather than rapid or forceful ventilation.

CPR Certification Labs provides hands-on, American Heart Association–aligned CPR, BLS, ACLS, and PALS certification training to help providers master these life-saving skills.