Hypoxia Causes, Symptoms and Treatment Options

Hypoxia is a disease in which there is an overall lack of oxygen content within the body's tissue and vital human organs (specifically the brain). Hypoxia has several potential causes, including: cardiac arrest, severe head trauma, carbon monoxide poisoning, suffocation, stranglation, and choking, as well as any instance in which oxygen supply is deprived from the body. There are five different types of hypoxia: hypoxic, anemic, hypemic, histotoxic, and stagnant.

Hypoxic hypoxia occurs when the entire body doesn't receive an appropriate amount of oxygen supply, and as a result, there is a low partial pressure of oxygen in the arterial blood. Potential causes of Hypoxic hypoxia entail high altitude ascension, sleep apnea, inappropriate ventilation, or a heart mechanism failure. Anemic hypoxia is when the arterial blood pressure is normal, but there is a lowered total oxygen blood content. Hypemic hypoxia is when there is a problem obstructing the ability of the blood to deliver oxygen, this is most often caused by carbon monoxide poisoning and an unusual form of haemoglobin. Histotoxic is when the appropriate amount of oxygen is reaching the cells, but there is a disorder prohibiting the cells to utilize the oxygen effectively. Lastly, there is a stagnant hypoxia, where there is something obstructing the flow of blood, even though the blood has an adequate amount of oxygen.

Symptoms of general hypoxia include severe headaches, blue discoloration of the skin, nausea, shortness of breath, fatigue, seizures, coma, and in some fatal instances, death. These symptoms vary greatly depending on the severity of the hypoxia, in minor instances, impaired judgment, memory loss, inability to pay attention, and impaired coordination may occur. Hypoxia is common among those who travel to altitudes higher than their bodies are typically accustomed to, where it causes rampant altitude sickness, which ultimately leads to some of the above symptoms. In anticipation of being in such environments where hypoxia is common, some travelers often undergo altitude/endurance training in order to strengthen and prepare their bodies for such a radical altitude change.

There are a variety of treatment options presented, again, dependent on the severity of the hypoxia. Since hypoxia can quickly escalate in severity, it is important to attempt treatment immediately after diagnosis. Essential life-support measures can often treat hypoxia, and equipment isn't always needed to combat it. However, it is important to maintain your breathing rate. If necessary equipment is available, it is also crucial to be hooked up to intravenous fluids (IV) and also to take medication that prevents seizures and accelerated blood pressure.