Final answer:
Rising CO2 levels can lead to respiratory acidosis with increased bicarbonate levels if compensation occurs. The condition affects the body's acid-base balance and can cause various symptoms. Hypocapnia, caused by hyperventilation, leads to respiratory alkalosis, an opposite state where CO2 levels are too low.
Step-by-step explanation:
As CO2 levels rise, a patient may exhibit signs of respiratory acidosis, a condition wherein an excess of carbonic acid or CO2 causes the blood to be overly acidic. Initially, in response to rising CO2 levels, bicarbonate levels would remain normal, but if the body starts to compensate for the imbalance, these levels can increase in an attempt to reestablish the proper ratio of bicarbonate and carbonic acid/CO2. This compensation is a part of the body's mechanisms to maintain acid-base balance. When this fails or is overwhelmed, the patient might experience symptoms such as confusion, lethargy, shortness of breath, or sleepiness.
In contrast, hypocapnia, which is an abnormally low blood level of CO2, can occur with conditions that induce hyperventilation, such as panic attacks or severe pain, leading to a rise in blood pH and a condition known as respiratory alkalosis. The body's acid-base balance is finely regulated through respiratory functions and, when needed, through renal regulation as well. When renal compensatory mechanisms engage, they further adjust the acid-base equilibrium by affecting bicarbonate and hydrogen ion excretion or absorption.