Can anyone document a case of death from hyperventilation that did not have other medical complications?

Question

Can hyperventilation actually kill a healthy person?

Answer 1

Hello r_t
As pointed out, hyperventilation, is typically "self limiting", resulting in a loss of consciousness: This is an entirely different process than holding one's breath: The physiology is a direct opposite where as, rather than not getting sufficient oxygen, hyperventilation results in an excessive loss of carbon dioxide:
Carbon dioxide levels drives our respiration's ( in the brain stem)and at high levels can stop respiration: This could be reversed if medical attention were available but could result in death is there was no intervention. This could be difficult to prove, after the fact (and without medical attention).
Because this resultant, very high pH condition in the blood, multiple changes occur in body salts and acids, in an effort to compensate, this can cause serious and even fatal cardiac rhythm disturbances (fast or slow).
I have seen a documented death with hyperventilation as the direct cause: The acid base disturbance and decreased carbon dioxide, provoked multiple protracted seizures, in a young adult who had none previously: After "aspiration" (inhaling stomach contents) the individual progressed to a cardiac arrest. ..............One must presume that neither of these events triggered the hyperventilation.
Bottom line: Always assist someone to "re-breath" if you can suspect that there is no other reason to cause respiratory distress.

Answer 2

To die from hyperventilation would have to be an uncontrolled event and it wouldn't necessarily be the hyperventilation but the complications of it that caused the death. An example, you have a panic attack and hyperventilate uncontrollably, you can end up having a heart attack, because you are sending the system into shock.

Answer 3

nope, when you hyperventilate you simply get dizzy and pass out, same as when little kids get mad and hold their breath, they turn blue and pass out. And immediately upon passing out, presto, you breathe normally.