Background: Chronic Idiopathic Hyperventilation (CIH) is a form of dysfunctional breathing which has proven hard to treat effectively. The investigators hypothesised that by periodically inducing normocapnia over several weeks, it would be possible to raise the normal resting level/set point of CO2 and achieve a reduction of symptoms. Methods: Six CIH patients were treated two hours a day for four weeks with a novel breathing mask. The mask was used to induce normocapnia in these chronically hypocapnic patients. Capillary blood gases (PcCO2, pH, Standard Base Excess (SBE) etc.) were measured at baseline and once each week at least three hours after mask use, as well as spirometric values, breath holding tolerance and hyperventilation symptoms as per the Nijmegen Questionnaire (NQ),.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
6
Inducing normal CO2 for two hours a day for four weeks
Aarhus University Hospital
Aarhus, Denmark
Blood gas and acid/base status
pH, PCO2, PO2, Standard Base Excess
Time frame: Once every week in the treatment period of four weeks
Hyperventilation symptoms
Nijmegen Questionnaire
Time frame: once a week
Breath Hold Tolerance
Time frame: once a week
Spirometric values
FEV1, FVC
Time frame: once a week
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