A news report on September 2, 2025: In Changsha, Hunan Province, an 11-year-old boy recently spent 14 hours doing homework from morning to night, causing his hands to cramp, stiffen, and take on a “claw-like” shape. Doctors said the child suffered from alkalosis, which could be fatal when severe.
In a video shared on “Wu Video” on September 1, a woman revealed that on the eve of the school year, the child rushed to finish his homework, starting at 8 a.m. and continuing until 10 p.m. with constant urging from his parents. Suddenly, the child’s “face turned pale, felt dizzy, limbs went numb, weakened, and had trouble breathing.”
In the video, the boy’s fingers were seen in a “claw-like” shape. The parents immediately took him to the hospital for treatment.
Doctors confirmed that the condition was due to alkalosis.
According to a report on August 1 by Global Net, the incident occurred on the evening of August 26. Just a few hours later, a 14-year-old, using the pseudonym Chen Chen, was rushed to the hospital’s emergency room by his mother after staying up late playing games, experiencing excitement, stiffness throughout his body, and numbness in his limbs, all leading to alkalosis.
The Changsha Central Hospital’s public account stated that since August, the affiliated Children’s Emergency Department has treated over 30 cases of similar symptoms in teenagers related to respiratory alkalosis triggered by emotional excitement, which is about a tenfold increase compared to previous months.
Doctors suggested that for alkalosis patients, family members should prepare masks, paper bags, or plastic bags to cover the patient’s mouth and nose, instructing them to take deep breaths followed by slow exhalation to retain carbon dioxide in the lungs, increasing the internal carbon dioxide level in the body to alleviate alkalosis symptoms. If the symptoms persist, immediate medical attention is recommended.
Dr. Zhang, Head of the Children’s Department at South China University affiliated Changsha Central Hospital, explained that respiratory alkalosis is a common acute condition caused by deep and rapid breathing during emotional excitement, resulting in a sudden decrease in blood carbon dioxide level and an increase in pH value, triggering alkalosis. Symptoms include chest tightness, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, dizziness, palpitations, numbness in extremities, lips and even full-body numbness, possible stiff muscles or claw-like hands.
Doctors reminded that non-pathological respiratory alkalosis generally does not lead to death and can self-resolve; however, alkalosis may decrease blood potassium levels, causing arrhythmias and potentially leading to fatal outcomes. Therefore, the occurrence of fatal consequences due to alkalosis is a real possibility.