Hypoxia: Definition, Causes, Symptoms and Treatment. (What is hypoxia and how dangerous is it?)

What is Hypoxia?
The brain depends on the blood to provide it with a constant supply of oxygen. Thus disruptions to any part of the body that plays a role in blood or oxygen supply can lead to hypoxia. The four primary causes of hypoxia are:
• No blood supply to the brain: This occurs when the blood vessels that supply the brain with blood are completely obstructed.
• Low blood supply to the brain: Low blood supply can occur when even a single blood vessel is blocked or partially obstructed, as often happens with a stroke. This form of hypoxia frequently affects a specific region of the brain, interfering with functions governed by that region.
• No blood oxygen: When the body can’t take in oxygen, or the heart or lungs can’t properly provide the blood with oxygen, the brain -- and all other organs -- suffer from hypoxia.
• Low blood oxygen: When the body can’t properly oxygenate blood, often due to illnesses such as emphysema or a crisis such as a heart attack, the brain gets less oxygen than it needs to properly function.
Causes
• Traveling to high altitudes, especially for people in poor health and for those who quickly rise to high altitudes.
• Carbon monoxide poisoning.
• Strangulation or smothering. For example, the choke holds that some law enforcement officers use can cause hypoxia if held too long.
• Very low blood pressure, which is usually caused by something else, such as a hemorrhage.
• Smoke inhalation.
• Choking.
• Heart attack or stroke.
• Medical conditions such as a heart attack or stroke.
• Allergic reactions that lead to anaphylactic shock.
• Severe cases of asthma.
• Allergies
• In infants, improper sleep positions or unsafe sleep environments. For example, young babies can be smothered in crib bumpers, or get inadequate oxygen while sleeping on their stomachs.
• Hyperventilation.
• How Long Can a Person Survive Oxygen Deprivation?
The timeline from initial hypoxia to death or brain damage varies with the degree of oxygen deprivation. Minor oxygen deprivation only causes damage over time, but true hypoxia triggers near-instantaneous damage.
Brain damage can begin within a minute or two of total oxygen deprivation. At the five-minute mark, death of brain cells -- and the severe brain damage that accompanies it -- becomes inevitable. Most people will die within 10 minutes of total oxygen deprivation. Those in poor health often die much sooner.
Symptoms
People experiencing hypoxia may feel like they can’t breathe, struggle to catch their breath, or experience a rapid heart rate as the heart beats faster to attempt to supply the brain with blood. Less severe oxygen deprivation can cause symptoms that are subtler and more gradual. Moreover, some oxygen deprivation victims lose the ability to talk, and infants and children may not recognize or understand the signs of oxygen deprivation.
Symptoms of oxygen deprivation include:
• Something obstructing the face, mouth, or nose; increased carbon monoxide exposure can be a problem in enclosed areas, so a person in a very small space or whose face is covered may suffer from oxygen deprivation even if they can breathe.
• Changes in mood or personality; the victim may seem confused.
• Loss of consciousness, including fainting or seizures.
• Blue or white lips, tongue, or face.
• Tingling in the extremities.
• Pupils that don’t respond normally to light.
• Not breathing, or not expelling air when exhaling.
• Hyperventilating or gasping for air.
• Unable to speak; a person who is truly choking may not cough.
How to Treat Hypoxia
Hypoxia demands emergency treatment. Don’t try to treat it at home or wait and see what happens. Even suspected hypoxia requires a call to 911, and an emergency room visit. As you wait for help to arrive, a technique called The Dobkin Technique may slow brain damage. It can even save the person’s life. To use Dobkin, place ice cold water or a cold compress on the face and eyes of the hypoxia victim. The compress must be below 58 degrees, and must remain on the victim’s face until help arrives, or unless a medical professional tells you to do otherwise.
Prognosis
After oxygen is restored to the brain, the prognosis varies. Longer periods of oxygen deprivation, particularly in babies, young children, and seniors, typically produce more damage. There is no single treatment that can cure or reverse brain damage. Doctors also don’t fully understand brain damage, so it's impossible to make reliable predictions. Some people recover fully. Others never do.
A number of strategies can support recovery:
• Addressing the underlying cause of the hypoxia.
• Supportive therapy, including physical or speech therapy, to regain brain functioning. This helps the brain find ways to work around the injury, and can encourage the growth of new nerve cells.
• Providing psychological support. Sound mental health makes it easier for a hypoxia survivor to cope with his or her injury. It also helps him or her stick with treatment.

[martinellibarnard]

My heart stopped about 11 times a year between the age of 12 and 18 and I had to be resuscitated due to asthma. I was healed by prayer. I get episodes of severe cluster headaches and eventually wake up with pressure in my head and memory loss. About 5 years ago I had an MRI done and evidence of several strokes shows up on the MRI. I am on toplep and blood thinner.

[leomaster]

My mom suffered from hypoxia and brain injury, she has been in the ICU for 37d now, she barely responds to commands and barely recognise her surroundings and people around her, she cannot speak and barely controlling body movements. She barely gives emotional face expressions like happiness sadness and pain. hopefully she recovers soon ♥️

[shannnz]

I watched the case of that young man Otto who was a US graduate and visited North Korea. They said there was little evidence of physical torture when he was returned to US, but something happened to him in order to silence him from exposing North Korean crimes against humanity. I recently watched a Joe Rogan podcast of a North Korean escapee and she said a torture technique used over there is air deprivation, they leave enough just to keep you alive. It would explain Ottos vegetative state when he was finally returned to the US.

[Gremlinbaby_xo]

I feel like they probably should have included drug use/overdose as a potential cause of hypoxia, it’s more common than some of the other causes that they listed and there’s a high risk of an addict experiencing it multiple times whilst in active addiction, especially if they’re an opiate addict or alcoholic.

[shelbysnow]

I was with out air for 86 minutes and survived. God was with me.

[sujapandey]

I am feeling breathlessness since some days and while I am feeling so i feel headache and confusion. I have a history of GAD so I am confused what might be the reason behind this?

[barrie-lynn]

I have severe sleep apnea and my last sleep study showed I have nocturnal Hypoxia. My oxygen got down between 79-88.

[michshannon]

So would this be a reason why a person always randomly takes a deep breath? Or do they just breath wonky.

[sentaiblandy]

I really needed too see this thank you. My brother brain hypoxia and I’m trying to see what we can do so he recovers it happend when he was 2 and now he’s 4 so I’m just not sure, thank you for the information

[sergey_belinsky]

Hello
Thank you very much for your important video about hypoxia
Unfortunately, the dangers of chronic hypoxia and the main reasons causing hypoxia due to lack of oxygen in the inhaled air are given a little information and most importantly in connection with the adaptive capabilities of the body during chronic hypoxia and in general with a lack of oxygen in the air - in fact people they may not notice the absence of oxygen, since carbon dioxide is not recognized by them, and people in a closed room (for example, closed windows and vents in winter) people can breathe the same air for a long time and not notice it !
The lack of oxygen there.
And then what can happen?
The human body begins to adapt to a lack of oxygen by changing the metabolism of the main functions of the body, and in particular cellular and tissue respiration, to oxygen-free mechanisms of energy production.
In the end, nothing good.
Further, with time of prolonged oxygen starvation, dysfunctions of various organs or systems are possible, and diseases may occur, the true causes of which may not be unraveled either by the patient himself or by doctors. Thus, people who actually suffer from chronic hypoxia may be treated symptomatically, without knowing the true causes of the disease.
In general, the other day I googled in search of the causes of chronic hypoxia and found almost no information.
The importance of clean air for life expectancy cannot be denied and should be put in the first place in importance this is my very opinion, but not for or to diet for example.

Without air, a person cannot live for even a few minutes, and without food, for example, a week can be.

Also, Dear Friends, I would like to share important information with my colleagues and with everyone interested in Health - Why people used to live much longer in ancient times

I have an article in my profile - called Way to Longevity - Please find time for attention.
I don’t give a link here because it’s seems to inconvenient to do that here, but from other side I feel that I have to disclose such an information

Please forgive my long comment.

Wishing you good health and all the Very Best


Dr

[MamaRestInPeace]

I nearly died Oct 2021 in ICU from the Delta. I barely survived and today suffer severe L/C I was not Diabetic before the infection, 3 months after discharge my home health nurses noted high blood sugar, I am full blown Diabetic Type 2 now. But I also suffer severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea and am on CPAP with Supplemental 02 attached. My Doctors have noted severe Hypoxia especially when I lay down, or sit back in my chair. Sometimes it seems positional. My 02 drops down into the low 80’s upper 70’s when I forget to put on my CPAP. I was wondering what Organs are likely affected by this low Oxygen Hypoxia. I was told by one of my Doctors that Ray Liota likely died from Hypoxia in his sleep. I was also told that they fly patients to Trauma Centers when their 02 is down that low. Does anybody have any comment or ideas? Alot of people who had the 19 are struggling with Hypoxia even 2 years after infection.

[brunamormiloborges]

My partner and I suffered a car accident and he had a fatal impact to his head causing hypoxia. He went to the hospital but the damages to his brain were incompatible with life

[zyiroz]

I was feeling shortness of breath and I measured my oxygen levels on oximeter and they got down to 85! But I think it was due to alcohol and smoking the night before, Im overweight, but it now varies from 90 to 100, when should I worry?

[RadarHawk]

Could something like sleep apnea cause hypoxia?

[sophieloujax]

Can slow hypoxia be caused by someone having a tracheostomy fitted?

[soniczforever]

I have vasovagal syncope and fainted in may. Then two weeks ago during dinner found myself on the floor. I had not finished my dinner huge red flag as I train daily. I have low blood pressure 100/60 to 120 on average. Im 37 kilo. Trying to gain muscle. Id slumped in chair spilling my food. I almost injured head on a metal bar under desk where I fell. I have room fall proofed now fallen 4 times regardless of weight. Ive been healthy weight and still had this. Mum does too. Im annoyed as i cannot fly safetly. Thought I'd just fallen asleep. Fitbit alert warned of dangerously low blood oxygen last night and the night I ended up on the floor.

[doogiedoesyoutubable]

What is Hypoxia?
The brain depends on the blood to provide it with a constant supply of oxygen.
That's enough information for me!

[dustinmassie]

Could a severely deviated septum cause it? I have a fit vit versa 2 and its telling me that my spo2 is 82% to 94% while sleeping. I have been having some very sudden extreme anxiety for the past 2 months (no history of anxiety disorders in me or my family) and I was wondering if this is a possible cause. My left nostril is probably about 75-85% obstructed by my septum due to a nose break i had when I was 8 years old.

[damienbell]

Okay what about wearing a mask and your in a competitive sport. Basketball, baseball, football, track and field running! List that on this video plz

[Flexpite]

Im 13 and my nails are little bit bluish but not extremely blue (only in the nails) and i have shortness of breath and sometimes hyperventilate