Oxygen

Hypoventilation and hyperventilation are respiratory conditions related to differential intakes of air. Hypoventilation refers to the inadequate (hypo) intake of air, causing decreased levels of oxygen and increased levels of carbon dioxide in the body. The necessary gas exchanges for maintaining equilibrium become upset. Hypoventilation is caused and characterized by shallow and/or excessively slow breathing. As a result of inadequate gas exchange, carbon dioxide cannot be properly removed and levels of CO2 in the blood become elevated, a condition called hypercapnia. When levels of CO2 in the blood change, the body's pH changes too. Hyperapnia causes the blood to become more acidic, a condition called Respiratory Acidosis. A person who has lost control over his or her respiratory system may not be able to self-regulate by breathing deeper or faster (Agrawal, n.d.).

Hyperventilation is the opposite of hypoventilation. Too much (hyper) air is being taken in and cannot be...
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