Hypercapnia means you have an abnormally high level of carbon dioxide in your blood. Carbon dioxide is a waste product of energy producing metabolism from cells. It’s removed by traveling in your blood to the lungs where it diffuses across your aveoli and then exhaled.
Although there are different hypercapnia causes, COPD is a common one due to obstructed airways. Other health conditions that may cause high carbon dioxide levels in blood are:
- drug overdose ~ opiate
- obstructive sleep apnea
- neuromuscular disorders
- skeletal muscle weakness
Mild cases of hypercapnia may not cause any noticeable symptoms or it could cause a slight headache, concentration problem and drowsiness. Extremely high carbon dioxide levels in blood symptoms include:
- twitching muscles
- increased heart rate
- elevated blood pressure
Because hypercapnia may eventually cause respiratory failure, which can lead to death, treatment for high carbon dioxide levels in your blood must be sought after right away.