Hyperpnea
Hyperpnea is increased volume of air during breathing. It can occur with or without an increase in respiration rate. It is characterized by deep breathing. It may be physiologic—as when required to meet metabolic demand of body tissues —or it may be pathologic, as when sepsis is severe.
Hyperpnea is distinguished from tachypnea, which is a respiratory rate greater than normal, resulting in rapid and shallow breaths. Hyperpnea is also distinguished from hyperventilation, which is over-ventilation, which involves an increase in volume and respiration rate, resulting in rapid and deep breaths, and a decrease in the arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the body. This decrease in concentration results in symptoms of light-headedness, tingling in peripheries, visual disturbances, etc. Hyperventilation is compensatory in metabolic acidosis, when the increased needs to be breathed off.The word hyperpnea uses combining forms of ' + ', yielding "excessive breathing". See pronunciation information at dyspnea.
