How can you get hypoxia

Hypoxia is the deprivation of oxygen to the brain, and is one of the deadliest injuries. Even people who survive hypoxia may experience lifelong aftereffects.

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:. Deep sea divers, people who practice certain forms of meditation, and a handful of other exceptions to the rule may be able to go longer periods than average without oxygen. For the average person, oxygen deprivation poses an imminent threat.

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. Some people may suffer other medical catastrophes, such as a heart attack, in response to oxygen deprivation.

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.

Hypoxia demands emergency treatment. Even suspected hypoxia requires a call to , and an emergency room visit. When your blood oxygen falls below a certain level, you might experience shortness of breath, headache, and confusion or restlessness. Causes shown here are commonly associated with this symptom. Work with your doctor or other health care professional for an accurate diagnosis.

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While hypoxemia refers to low oxygen levels in your blood, hypoxia refers to low levels of oxygen in the tissues of your body.

Generally, the presence of hypoxemia suggests hypoxia. This makes sense because if oxygen levels are low in your blood, the tissues of your body are also probably not getting enough oxygen either. There are several different types of hypoxemia, and the type depends on the mechanism through which blood oxygen levels are lowered.

This is the most common type of hypoxemia. Ventilation refers to the oxygen supply in the lungs, while perfusion refers to the blood supply to the lungs. There are two causes of ventilation perfusion mismatch :. Normally, deoxygenated blood enters the right side of the heart, travels to the lungs to receive oxygen, and then travels to the left side of the heart to be distributed to the rest of the body. In this type of hypoxemia, blood enters the left side of the heart without becoming oxygenated in the lungs.

When oxygen enters the lungs, it fills small sacs called alveoli. Tiny blood vessels called capillaries surround the alveoli. Oxygen diffuses from the alveoli into the blood running through the capillaries.

Hypoventilation is when oxygen intake occurs at a slow rate. This can result in higher levels of carbon dioxide in the blood and lower levels of oxygen. This type of hypoxemia typically occurs at higher altitudes. Available oxygen in the air decreases with increasing altitude.

Respiratory failure occurs when not enough oxygen passes from your lungs to your blood. Therefore, low blood oxygen levels can be an indicator of respiratory failure. Hypoxemia can sometimes occur in newborns with congenital heart defects or disease.

In fact, measuring the levels of oxygen in the blood is used to screen infants for congenital heart defects. They may also check the color of your skin, fingernails, or lips. There are some additional tests that they can perform to assess your oxygen levels and breathing. These can include:. Since hypoxemia involves low blood oxygen levels, the aim of treatment is to try to raise blood oxygen levels back to normal.