Have you ever felt suffocated, had a headache or had difficulty breathing to the point of vomiting while you were traveling or at high altitudes? Including those who are sick with COVID-19, most often have respiratory and lung symptoms such as shortness of breath, shortness of breath. The above symptoms may be signs of oxygen deficiency.
Hypoxia is a condition in which the body does not receive enough oxygen to meet its needs, resulting in a lower than normal amount of oxygen in the tissues. It can occur in people of all ages, especially those with heart and lung problems, asthma, emphysema, and bronchitis due to hypoxia.
It can be divided into 4 types according to the cause of occurrence:
1. Hypoxia, where the body receives less oxygen (Hypoxic/Hypoxia), is most commonly found due to reduced oxygen pressure in the alveoli, which often occurs when ascending to a high altitude. The area used for gas exchange between the lungs and the bloodstream is reduced, such as pulmonary edema, collapsed lungs, air in the lungs, drowning, etc., and oxygen cannot easily permeate through the alveoli into the bloodstream, such as swelling, drowning, hyaline membrane disease, etc.
2. Hypemic Hypoxia is caused by a deficiency in the delivery of oxygen to the body's cells, such as anemia, a decrease in the number of red blood cells in the blood, or the body receiving certain medications or toxins.
3. Stagnant Hypoxia is caused by impaired blood flow, such as reduced blood pressure due to heart failure.
4. Hypoxia caused by cellular toxicity (Histotoxic Hypoxia) occurs when the body's cells are unable to use oxygen due to exposure to toxic substances such as alcohol, cyanide, etc.
People with hypoxia will have symptoms and severity of symptoms vary from person to person, but the most noticeable symptoms are coughing, sweating a lot, pale or blue skin, rapid heartbeat, confusion, wheezing, rapid breathing, difficulty breathing, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, lethargy, unresponsiveness to external stimuli, coma, and severe cases can even lead to death. The treatment focuses on increasing the oxygen level in the patient's blood. The treatment method will depend on the symptoms and severity of the disease. If anyone has symptoms that are likely to be hypoxia, they should see a doctor immediately or rush them to the hospital as soon as possible so that the doctor can examine the cause and provide the correct treatment. Avoid being in areas with low oxygen. If anyone is at risk of hypoxia, they should strictly follow the doctor's advice to help reduce the risk and prevent hypoxia. And don't forget to always keep yourself healthy, such as drinking plenty of water, eating healthy food, and exercising regularly.
Hypoxia is a condition in which the body does not receive enough oxygen to meet the body's needs. It can happen to people of all ages, but those at high risk are those with respiratory problems, heart and lung diseases. If you find that you or someone close to you has symptoms of hypoxia, you should see a doctor immediately or take them to the hospital for examination and treatment. You should strictly follow the doctor's advice. You should avoid going to areas with low oxygen and always take care of your health to stay strong.