Hypercapnia

Hypercapnia is when there is too much carbon dioxide (CO2) in the blood. It is often caused by hypoventilation or disordered
breathing where not enough oxygen enters into the lungs and not enough carbon dioxide is emitted. There are many other cause
including:
•Brainstem disease
•Encephalitis
•Hypothermia
•Metabolic disorders
•Nervous system disorders
•Obesity
•Sedative 
•Sleep apnea
•Spinal cord injuries
•Starvation
•Stroke
•Thoracic cage disorders like ankylosing spondylitis
•Toxins, poisonings, and drugs like botulism and tetanus
•Upper airway disorders
 Symptoms of Hypercapnia
The signs usually depend on how severe your hypercapnia is:
Mild to moderate hypercapnia 
•Shortness of breath
•Daytime sluggishness
•Headache
•Daytime sleepiness even when you slept a lot at night
•Anxiety
Acute hypercapnia can cause:
•Delirium
•Paranoia
•Depression
•Confusion
If untreated, it can eventually lead to a coma.
Severe hypercapnia can involve:
•Hand tremors
•Sudden brief muscle jerks
•Seizures
• Headaches
• Nausea
• Trouble seeing
•dilated superficial veins
 Risk factors for hypercapnia
Some risk factors for hypercapnia, especially as a result of COPD, include:

• smoking cigarettes, cigars, or pipes heavily

• age, as many conditions that cause hypercapnia are progressive and usually don’t begin to show symptoms until after age 40
• having asthma, especially if you also smoke
• breathing in fumes or chemicals in workplace environments, such as factories, warehouses, or electrical or chemical plants
Treatment
Ventilation:
These treatments allow you to get consistent oxygen to balance your CO 2 levels. This is especially important if you
have an underlying condition that’s causing you not to get enough oxygen through normal breathing or if you’ve
experienced respiratory failure and can’t breathe very well on your own.

Medication
•bronchodilators, which help your airway muscles work properly
•inhaled or oral corticosteroids, which help keep airway inflammation to a minimum
•antibiotics for respiratory infections, such as pneumonia or acute bronchitis

Therapies
Some therapies can also help treat symptoms and causes of hypercapnia. For example, with oxygen therapy, you carry
a small device around that delivers oxygen straight into your lungs. Pulmonary rehabilitation allows you to change
your diet, exercise routine, and other habits to make sure that you’re contributing positively to your overall health.
This can reduce your symptoms and the possible complications of an underlying condition.

Surgery
Some cases may require surgery to treat or replace damaged airways or lungs. In a lung volume reduction surgery,
your doctor removes damaged tissue to make room for your remaining healthy tissue to expand and bring in more
oxygen. In a lung transplant, an unhealthy lung is removed and replaced by a healthy lung from an organ donor.
Both surgeries can be risky, so talk to your doctor about these options to see if they’re right for you.