Alveolar Hypoventilation Syndrome

Alveolar hypoventilation syndrome is a rare condition that is the result of the body not taking enough breaths per minute even though the lungs and airways are normal.

Normally, when a person's oxygen level is low (or their carbon dioxide level is high) the brain will signal the body to breathe more quickly or deeply to correct the imbalance but when alveolar hypoventilation syndrome is present that doesn't happen. Causes of this condition are generally unknown but can have a genetic component. It most commonly appears in men between 20 and 50 years of age.