Why Is My Blood Carbon Dioxide High?

People expel carbon dioxide from their bodies through the lungs, but certain drugs or respiratory problems can cause their blood to retain excessive levels of this compound.

Normal Respiration

• Carbon dioxide exists normally in the bloodstream as a byproduct of respiration, according to CHF Patients. Blood carries the carbon dioxide, in the form of bicarbonate, to the lungs, which convert it back into carbon dioxide and then expel it.

Influence of Bicarbonate

• Since the body converts bicarbonate to carbon dioxide, introducing bicarbonates or bicarbonate-producing agents into the body can cause high carbon dioxide levels, a condition called hypercapnea.

Contributing Factors

• Long-term use of steroids, diuretics or laxatives may raise carbon dioxide levels. Hypercapnea also occurs in patients with sleep apnea, a condition in which breathing repeatedly stops during sleep.

Diagnosis

• Doctors can check for high carbon dioxide and bicarbonate levels by taking blood from an artery and examining the arterial blood gases.

Treatment

• Treating hypercapnea involves eliminating the cause of the problem, including any drugs that affect bicarbonate production. Hypercapnea associated with sleep apnea responded to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment in a 1994 Taiwanese study.