What can cause lack of oxygen

The lack of oxygen, which can also be known as hypoxia, consists of decreasing the supply of oxygen in tissues throughout the body. The lack of oxygen in the blood, which can also be called hypoxemia, is a serious condition that can cause serious tissue damage and, consequently, the risk of death.

The brain is the most affected organ in this situation, as its cells can die in about 5 minutes due to lack of oxygen. Therefore, whenever signs of lack of oxygen are identified, such as shortness of breath, mental confusion, dizziness, fainting, coma or purple fingers, it is important to go to the emergency room as soon as possible.

To identify the lack of oxygen, the doctor can identify the signs through physical examination and order tests, such as pulse oximetry or arterial blood gases, for example, that can identify the concentration of oxygen in the bloodstream. Learn about the tests that confirm a lack of oxygen.

Lack of oxygen in the blood and tissues can have different causes, including:

1. Altitude

It arises when the amount of oxygen in the breathed air is not enough, which usually happens in places with altitudes higher than 3, 000 meters, since the further away from sea level, the lower the concentration of oxygen in the air.

This situation is known as hypobaric hypoxia and can result in some complications, such as acute non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema, cerebral edema, dehydration and hypothermia.

2. Lung diseases

Changes in the lungs caused by diseases such as asthma, emphysema, pneumonia or acute lung edema, for example, make it difficult for oxygen to enter the bloodstream through its membranes, reducing the amount of oxygen in the body.

There are also other types of situations that prevent breathing, such as due to neurological diseases or coma, in which the lungs are unable to do their job properly.

3. Changes in blood

Anemia, caused by a lack of iron or vitamins, bleeding, or genetic disorders such as sickle cell anemia can cause a lack of oxygen in the body, even if breathing works normally.

This is because anemias cause insufficient amounts of hemoglobin, which is a protein present in red blood cells responsible for carrying the oxygen captured in the lungs and delivering it to the body's tissues.

4. Poor blood circulation

It happens when the amount of oxygen is sufficient in the blood, however, the blood cannot reach the tissues of the body, due to an obstruction, as it happens in the infarction, or when the circulation in the blood stream is weak, caused by heart failure, for example. example.

5. Intoxication

Situations such as poisoning based on carbon monoxide or intoxications by certain medications, cyanide, alcohol or psychoactive substances can prevent the binding of oxygen to hemoglobin or prevent the uptake of oxygen by tissues, therefore, they can also cause lack of oxygen.

6. Neonatal hypoxia

Neonatal hypoxia occurs due to a lack of oxygen supply to the baby through the maternal placenta, causing fetal distress.

It can appear before, during or after delivery, due to maternal changes, related to the placenta or the fetus, which can have consequences for the baby such as cerebral palsy and mental retardation.

7. Psychological causes

People with some type of psychological disorder use more oxygen when they are in a stressful situation, which leads to the appearance of signs and symptoms such as shortness of breath, palpitations and mental confusion.

8. Climate

In extreme environmental conditions of cold or heat, there is an increased need for oxygen to maintain the body's metabolism in its normal functions, with a decrease in tolerance to hypoxia.

What are the symptoms

Symptoms that indicate a lack of oxygen in the blood are:

• Shortness of breath; Rapid breathing; Palpitations; Irritation; Dizziness; Excessive sweating; Mental confusion; Drowsiness; Fainting; Cyanosis, which are the ends of the fingers or purplish lips; Eat.

However, when the lack of oxygen is located in only one organ or region of the body, specific injuries are caused in that tissue, which is called ischemia or infarction. Some examples of this situation are infarction of the heart, intestinal, pulmonary or stroke, for example.

In addition, tissue damage due to lack of oxygen can be reversible, after correcting this problem and recovering cells, however, in some cases, lack of oxygen causes tissue death, causing permanent sequelae. Find out what are the main sequelae that can arise after a stroke.

What to do in the absence of oxygen

Treatment for lack of oxygen is usually started with the use of an oxygen mask to try to normalize your blood levels, however, the situation will only be really treated with the resolution of the cause.

Thus, depending on the cause, specific treatments are indicated by the doctor, such as the use of antibiotics for pneumonia, nebulization for asthma, medicines to improve the functioning of the lungs or heart, treatments for anemia or antidotes for poisonings, for example.

In severe cases, which are caused by brain damage or cannot be resolved immediately, the use of artificial respiration through devices, in an ICU environment and with the use of sedatives, may be necessary until the doctor is able to stabilize the capacity respiratory. Understand when induced coma is necessary.