Treatment is aimed at the condition that causes respiratory alkalosis. Breathing into a paper bag -- or using a mask that causes you to re-breathe carbon dioxide -- sometimes helps reduce symptoms.
Expectations (prognosis)
The prognosis is based on the condition that causes the respiratory alkalosis.
Complications
Seizures may occur if the alkalosis is extremely severe. This is very rare.
Calling your health care provider
Call your health care provider if you have any symptoms of lung disease, such as chronic cough or shortness of breath.
References
Murray J, Nadel J. Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: WB Saunders; 2000: 192-193.
Respiratory acidosis (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Respiratory acidosis is a condition that occurs when the lungs cannot remove all of the carbon dioxide the body produces. This disrupts the body's acid-base balance. Body fluids become too acidic. Reviewer: Andrew Schriber, M.D., F.C.C.P., Specialist in Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Virtua Memorial Hospital, Mount Holly, New Jersey. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 11/12/2007
Common cold (3 images)
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(Doctor-Reviewed information)
The common cold generally involves a runny nose, nasal congestion, and sneezing. You may also have a sore throat, cough, headache, or other symptoms. Over 200 viruses can cause a cold. Reviewer: D. Scott Smith, MD, MSc, DTM&H, Chief of Infectious Disease & Geographic Medicine, Kaiser Redwood City, CA & Adjunct Assistant Professor, Stanford University. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 08/08/2006
ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome) (2 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a life-threatening condition that causes lung swelling¿and fluid build up in the air sacs. ARDS is a medical emergency. While ARDS shares some similarities with infant respiratory distress syndrome, its causes and treatments are different. Reviewer: David A. Kaufman, M.D., Assistant Professor, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 05/03/2006
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a very common virus. This virus¿causes mild, cold-like symptoms in adults and older healthy children. It can cause serious respiratory infections in young babies, especially those in certain high-risk groups. Reviewer: Daniel Rauch, M.D., FAAP., Director, Pediatric Hospitalist Program, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 07/26/2007
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) (2 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a serious form of pneumonia, caused by a virus isolated in 2003. Infection with the SARS virus results in acute respiratory distress (severe breathing diffculty) and sometimes death. It is a dramatic example of how quickly world travel can spread a disease. It is also an example of how quickly a networked health system can respond to an emerging threat. Background Information: This contagious respiratory infection was first described on Feb. 26, 2003. SARS was identified as a new disease by World Health Organization (WHO) physician Dr. Carlo Urbani. He diagnosed it in a 48-year-old businessman who had traveled from the Guangdong province of China, through Hong Kong, to Hanoi, Vietnam. The businessman died from the illness. Dr. Urbani subsequently died from SARS on March 29, 2003, at the age of 46. In the meantime, SARS was spreading, and within 6 weeks of its discovery, it had infected thousands of people around the world, including people in Asia, Australia, Europe, Africa, and North and South America. Schools had closed throughout Hong Kong and Singapore. National economies were affected. The WHO had identified SARS as a global health threat, and issued an unprecedented travel advisory. Daily WHO updates tracked the spread of SARS seven days a week. It wasn't clear whether SARS would become a global pandemic, or would settle into a less aggressive pattern. The rapid, global public health response helped to stem the spread of the virus, and by June 2003, the epidemic had subsided to the degree that on June 7 the WHO backed off from its daily reports. Nevertheless, even as the number of new cases dwindled, and travel advisories began to be lifted, the sober truth remained: every new case had the potential to spark another outbreak. SARS appears to be here to stay, and to have changed the way that the world responds to infectious diseases in the era of widespread international travel. Reviewer: D. Scott Smith, M.D., MSc, DTM&H, Chief of Infectious Disease & Geographic Medicine, Kaiser Redwood City, CA & Adjunct Assistant Professor, Stanford University. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 01/29/2007
Neonatal respiratory distress syndrome(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is most commonly a complication seen in premature infants. The condition makes it difficult to breathe. Reviewer: Alan Greene, MD, FAAP, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford UniversitySchool of Medicine, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital; Chief MedicalOfficer, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 09/05/2007
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