What is the term for excessive carbon dioxide in the blood while scuba diving?

The term for excessive carbon dioxide in the blood, especially in the context of scuba diving, is hypercapnia. This occurs when the body is unable to effectively eliminate CO2, leading to an increase in its concentration in the bloodstream. Hypercapnia can significantly impact a diver's physical and mental performance, causing symptoms such as confusion, dizziness, and even unconsciousness if it becomes severe.

Understanding hypercapnia is crucial for divers, as it can result from factors such as poor ventilation while using a diving regulator or a buildup of CO2 due to exhaustion or inappropriate breathing techniques. By recognizing the signs of hypercapnia, divers can take corrective actions and avoid potentially life-threatening situations.

The other terms represent different physiological conditions that are distinct from hypercapnia. For example, hypoxia refers to a deficiency in the amount of oxygen reaching the tissues, acidosis is a condition that occurs when there is an excess of acid in the blood (which can be related to hypercapnia but is not synonymous with it), and asphyxia is a state of severely deficient supply of oxygen to the body that can occur as a result of hypoxia or hypercapnia. Each of these conditions points to different issues during diving, but they do not specifically