Oxygen! The ultimate fuel for the body. You inhale almost 550 liters of oxygen every day.
Breathing is the only way to get oxygen in your system and survive.
That’s why the first question in an emergency is often: are they breathing??
Hey viewers! Welcome to another Bestie video. Having to deal with low oxygen levels can be
a major challenge. A few cardinal symptoms can forewarn you and save hospitalization.
Is bluish skin a sign? What about the shortness of breath and sweating?
Let's discuss it all in today's video.
Low oxygen levels or hypoxia can be very dangerous. Want to know why?
Your body requires a set balance of oxygen in the blood to stay healthy.
The term hypoxia indicates less oxygen in the tissues of your body. Another similar
term hypoxemia indicates low oxygen in your blood, especially in the arteries.
Most times these will be happening at the same time. When there is not enough
oxygen in your blood it will not distribute oxygen to the tissues of your body either.
The needs of your brain, heart, lungs, kidney, liver, and other organs will not
be met. There might be a few instances when hypoxia and hypoxemia can occur separately.
But mostly hypoxia is used to indicate low oxygen both in blood and tissues.
The average oxygen saturation level in a healthy individual should be 95%
or higher. A small electronic device called the pulse oximeter can quickly pick up
tiny changes in your oxygen levels. It's non-invasive and just has to be clipped on
your fingertip. But don't worry if you have not invested in this device. Your vigilance
is enough to catch symptoms of hypoxia that your body gives and save you from disaster.
Have a look at this. (Show cyanosis picture)
Isn't it scary?
Bluish-colored skin can be a pretty good indicator of poor
oxygen levels. It’s called cyanosis. You may find your hands, fingers,
and toes turning pale or bluish after playing in the snow or on a chilly winter's day. It's
totally normal and is hardly a life-threatening emergency. When you move to warmer settings
they turn back to their original color again. It is termed peripheral cyanosis.
But when you see your lips, nose, ear lobes, or mouth turning bluish-purple it becomes evident
that your oxygen level is dropping. This is called central cyanosis and it’s dangerous. These body
parts have thin skin that makes the underlying blood vessels visible. Oxygen-rich blood will be
bright red. But when it gets saturated with carbon dioxide it turns dark red and reflects a bluish
tint. When this happens your oxygen level might be less than 80 to 85%. Chronic obstructive pulmonary
disorder and emphysema (em·fuh·see·muh) are known to cause central cyanosis.
Next up, if you're talking gibberish or feeling disoriented then low
oxygen levels have already caught up with your brain.
Hypoxia does not only showcase physical side effects but also
some dangerous mental ones. The brain is the controlling unit of
your breathing. When it is supplied with low oxygen it can cause cerebral hypoxia.
If you are trapped in a fire and breathe in smoke you will just be inhaling a lot of
carbon monoxide. It can cause poisoning and deteriorate your heart and lungs. Choking,
drowning, brain injury and suffocation also have similar effects. Always ensure you are buckled
up while driving and wearing a helmet and a life jacket while you are enjoying sports like biking,
skating, and swimming. Ensuring smoke detectors are working fine at home is never a bad idea.
Initially, when hypoxia sets in, you may just be in a state of delirium and confusion.
But if you stay in the same atmosphere for a prolonged time your brain cells can begin to die.
And once that happens there is no way to revive those dead cells. Brain injury is permanent.
Studies have shown that irreversible damage may begin after 2 to 4 minutes. After that,
your brain will lose its power to send signals effectively throughout
your body. Your reflexes and motor activities will also be affected.
If you are in a poorly ventilated room for
a while you may struggle to pay attention to your tasks at work.
Difficulty remembering things, inability to make quick decisions,
and a general state of confusion can also be linked to low oxygen levels.
Struggling to make decisions and feeling dizzy or passing out can also happen.
It's important to keep your home ventilated and set your workstation near an open window.
Go out for a walk and get as much O2 as possible.
(pause)
Play video
Have you been persistently coughing for a long time?
Acute asthma attacks can worsen hypoxic conditions. Your airway will become narrow
and will not be able to carry enough oxygen. Coughing will just deplete oxygen stores.
Keep your inhaler handy to make breathing easier. If irritants and mucus choke up your airway you
will make a frantic attempt to get rid of it by coughing. Doctors may also advise you to keep
a small oxygen machine at home. One animal study found that prolonged hypoxic conditions stimulated
the cough centers. So remember, when that oxygen level starts falling you can start coughing.
(pause)
Now imagine if you had to jump off a tall building. Your heart will
probably start racing so rapidly it feels like it might break your ribs!
But does that happen to you even when you're sitting in a chair?
A normal heart beats 60-100 times per minute.When hypoxia sets in,
there isn’t enough oxygen supply to meet your body's needs. Studies state
that acute hypoxia can cause your heart to beat faster or slower than the usual range.
This is called cardiac arrhythmia. In short, the heart loses its natural rhythm of pumping blood.
Do you need to catch your breath? Concentrate on your breathing for a minute.
Shortness of breath or rapid breathing can be another red flag. More than 20 breaths
per minute is considered rapid breathing. You may breathe rapidly after a heavy workout or a sprint.
You may also feel short of breath if you are having a panic attack. But if you have no
external stimuli and are still breathing fast then it could be due to lower oxygen levels.
Don't be alarmed to see children breathing rapidly. Babies normally have a higher
breathing rate. This shallow breathing is also called tachypnea (ta-keep-knee-aa). Your heart
tries to pump more blood at a faster rate to stay oxygenated. But sadly it doesn't help.
You may also start gasping for breath to get more oxygen.
Anemic people also struggle to get more oxygen and therefore may experience shortness
of breath. They even choke in extreme cases. That will call for immediate hospitalization.
If you frequently wake up at night then you may be suffering from obstructive sleep apnea.
This condition often puts a restriction on the intake of oxygen by constricting the
airway with your tongue. When you are low on oxygen you will be out
of breath and your brain will wake you up so you can breathe deeply. Snoring,
and wheezing while sleeping are also indicators you're majorly lacking oxygen.
Healthcare professionals specializing in sleep medicine can ask you to take home some tests.
The data can indicate the quality of your sleep. Fragmented sleep will denote low
oxygen levels. They may even ask you to start using devices like a CPAP machine
to ensure the uninterrupted flow of oxygen to the brain at night.
Show CPAP device
I know it's difficult to sleep with a mask around your mouth all night.
But trust us it works. When you start getting more oxygen you’ll
feel well-rested and less fatigued. You won’t even need to nap in the afternoon.
(Pause)
Did you know strong pain medications, anesthetics, and a few narcotic drugs can suppress breathing?
Although it'll be dependent on your age, weight, physic,
and the dose of the medication, there will be a fluctuation in the brain oxygen levels.
And when that happens you may start sweating. If you consume large doses
then the acute intoxication could turn lethal as your brain might go into a sudden hypoxic state.
There is no direct effect of low oxygen on the sweat glands. It is your body's natural mechanism
to release water and other fluids as feedback to the overall altered functioning. Sweat can cool
you down and put you in a calm mind frame which also helps your lungs to breathe easily. But when
you fail to get enough oxygen the sweating does not stop. So keep an eye on this symptom as well.
Do you think there could be a link between your headaches and low oxygen levels?
When that throbbing headache hits you, it takes a toll. You may feel helpless
and pop a pill mindlessly but the real reason for the pain remains unaddressed.
Low oxygen levels in the brain could be one of the reasons behind those headaches.
It alters the blood flow and brain activity. It further lowers the pain threshold too.
Your brain loses the ability to block pain signals.
A few surprising studies found a close link between hypoxia and primary headaches. Primary
headaches are those that are not related to other medical conditions. So if you constantly suffer
from migraines, tension headaches or cluster headaches, start focusing on getting more oxygen.
With great lung capacity, you’ll be able to send more oxygen around the body faster.
Getting strong lungs doesn't come easy. You’ve to be careful about what you eat.
Let's keep the conversation going with a couple of more lung-related videos, shall we?
Watch 16 foods that can cleanse your lungs and help you breathe
or 19 foods that improve unhealthy lungs and help you breathe easy.
Go ahead, click one. Or better yet, watch both, and learn more about how to get more
oxygen. Do you have any of the discussed symptoms? Let us know in the comments below!