Breathless: A Deep Dive into the Science of Hypoxia

Hypoxia is a condition when the tissues of your body do not get adequate oxygen supply, meaning that there is not enough oxygen in our tissues. This is a deeply concerning issue that can have many negative impacts.  

After all, oxygen is the life force that sustains us. It fuels cellular processes, plays a crucial role in energy production, and serves as the primary source of our respiratory system. Our bodies are designed so that each part works under specific oxygen concentrations, and any deviation from this balance can trigger responses that might need immediate medical assistance.

While hypoxia is not an everyday occurrence, it is common enough that caregivers should be aware of its implications, causes, and how to know when hypoxia is important.

In this article, let us explore hypoxia, including its types, symptoms, and causes.

What Causes Hypoxia?

As stated above, any condition that restricts blood flow or lessens the amount of oxygen in your blood causes hypoxia. It can also be caused by any underlying illness that affects blood flow or breathing.

Several factors may cause this.

• Environmental factors like high altitude, poor air quality, or confined spaces can contribute to hypoxia.
• Physiological and pathological factors are relevant too, like respiratory disorders, cardiovascular issues, anemia, or metabolic disorders. Related issues include asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, and pulmonary edema are other common causes of hypoxia.
• Infections like pneumonia, influenza, and COVID-19 can contribute to your risk of hypoxia.

Types of Hypoxia

There are four different types of Hhypoxia, and all of them are caused by a lack of oxygen. Below is a brief description of each of these types:

Stagnant Hypoxia

Also called Ischemic Hypoxia or Circulatory Hypoxia, this type is caused when your heart doesn’t pump enough blood or in case of a blockage in a blood vessel. Though your blood might have plenty of oxygen, it doesn’t get to your tissues if your heart doesn’t pump it or if there is a blockage.

Blood clots or congestive heart failure can contribute to circulatory hypoxia.

Hypoxemic Hypoxia

Hypoxemic Hypoxia is one of the most common causes of hypoxia and can be caused when you experience lower levels of oxygen, basically when you are traveling to a high altitude.

It can also be caused by lung and heart diseases, congenital heart defects, and because of medications that slow your breathing.

Histotoxic Hypoxia

Histotoxic Hypoxia is a condition when your cells cannot utilize the oxygen coming their way for some reason. In this condition, there’ll be plenty of oxygen entering your blood, but when it arrives at your tissues, due to some reason or the other, your tissues won’t be able to utilize it.

Cyanide poisoning can be a reason contributing to this.

Anemic Hypoxia

When you do not have sufficient red blood cells that can carry oxygen from your lungs to other tissues, if your body doesn’t make an adequate number of healthy red blood cells, it can lead to anemia.

Symptoms of Hypoxia

The symptoms of Hypoxia vary accordingly and largely depend on what parts of your body are affected, the underlying cause, and the severity of it. However, below are some of the common symptoms of hypoxia:

• Headache
• Anxiety
• Restlessness
• Confusion
• Rapid heart rate
• Shortness of breath
• Difficulty breathing
• Impaired judgment and confusion
• Slow heart rate (Only in case of severe hypoxia)
• Bluish skin (Only in cases of severe hypoxia)

Diagnosis of Hypoxia

A physical exam, which will include listening to your heart and lungs, will be done by your healthcare provider. They might even check your nails, skin, and lips to see if they look out of color or bluish.

Your healthcare provider may also prescribe tests to examine your oxygen levels in order to determine the underlying cause of hypoxia, which may include the following:

• Pulse Oximetry: A sensor is placed on your finger to measure the amount of oxygen in your blood. This process is painless and invasive.
• Arterial Blood Gas Test (ABG): This test is performed by drawing blood from either your wrist, arm, or groin, using a needle to check your oxygen levels.
• Pulmonary Function Test (PFT): In this test, you will need to blow out and breathe into a machine that has a mouthpiece attached to it. This measures how well your lungs work.
• Imaging: CT scans, X-rays, and V/Q scans use special equipment to get the images of your internal organs, which will help your healthcare provider to gauge the cause of Hypoxia.
• Six-Minute Walk test: You will be required to walk on a flat surface for six minutes to analyze the distance you can cover in that duration. It helps to determine your lung and heart function.

Management and Treatment of Hypoxia

The treatment of hypoxia is determined by its causes. However, one should immediately seek medical assistance as soon as they feel any of the symptoms of Hypoxia.

The treatment, however, might include the following:

• Inhaled steroids in order to open up your airways in case of asthma or other lung diseases.
• Use medications (prescribed by a professional) to reduce excessive fluid in the lungs.
• Continuous positive airway pressure mask (CPAP) to help with sleep apnea.
• Bilevel positive airway pressure to treat COPD or some kinds of sleep apnea.
• An oxygen delivery device is attached to your nose that has an attached mask or tubes to increase the amount of oxygen going into your lungs.
• In case of severe cases of hypoxia, mechanical ventilation in hospital.

Conclusion

Hypoxia is a critical condition, which is understandable since oxygen is essential to our survival. Managing or treating hypoxia requires immediate interventions by professionals to address the acute oxygen deprivation.

As such, it’s important for caregivers and seniors to watch for hypoxia symptoms, especially if the senior has a condition that makes them vulnerable.