Low oxygen in the blood, is it.....?

Question

an ongoing issue that can be diagnosed and treated or is it something that is only a symptom during a distinct illness or body trauma? I am not referring to yawning, I am wondering if this is a possible affliction that one can have and needs to be daignosed like low blood sugar?

Answer 1

Respiratory failure often is divided into two main types. One of them, called hypoxemic respiratory failure, occurs when something interferes with normal gas exchange. Too little oxygen gets into the blood (hypoxemia), and all organs and tissues in the body suffer as a result. One common type of hypoxemic failure, occurring in both adults and prematurely born infants, is respiratory distress syndrome, a condition in which fluid or tissue changes prevent oxygen from passing out of the air sacs of the lungs into the circulating blood. Hypoxemia also may result from spending time at high altitudes (where there is less oxygen in the air); various forms of lung disease that separate oxygen from blood in the lungs; severe anemia ("low blood"); and blood vessel disorders that shunt blood away from the lungs, thus precluding the lungs from picking up oxygen.

Several different abnormalities of breathing function can cause respiratory failure. The major categories, with specific examples of each, are:


Obstruction of the airways. Examples are chronic bronchitis with heavy secretions; emphysema; cystic fibrosis; asthma (a condition in which it is very hard to get air in and out through narrowed breathing tubes).


Weak breathing. This can be caused by drugs or alcohol, which depress the respiratory center; extreme obesity; or sleep apnea, where patients stop breathing for long periods while sleeping.


Muscle weakness. This can be caused by a muscle disease called myasthenia; muscular dystrophy; polio; a stroke that paralyzes the respiratory muscles; injury of the spinal cord; or Lou Gehrig's disease.


Lung diseases, including severe pneumonia. Pulmonary edema, or fluid in the lungs, can be the source of respiratory failure. Also, it can often be a result of heart disease; respiratory distress syndrome; pulmonary fibrosis and other scarring diseases of the lung; radiation exposure; burn injury when smoke is inhaled; and widespread lung cancer.


An abnormal chest wall (a condition that can be caused by scoliosis or severe injury of the chest wall).

A majority of patients with respiratory failure are short of breath. Both low oxygen and high carbon dioxide can impair mental functions. Patients may become confused and disoriented and find it impossible to carry out their normal activities or do their work. Marked C02 excess can cause headaches and, in time, a semi-conscious state, or even coma. Low blood oxygen causes the skin to take on a bluish tinge. It also can cause an abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia). Physical examination may show a patient who is breathing rapidly, is restless, and has a rapid pulse. Lung disease may cause abnormal sounds heard when listening to the chest with a stethoscope: wheezing in asthma, "crackles" in obstructive lung disease. A patient with ventilatory failure is prone to gasp for breath, and may use the neck muscles to help expand the chest.

Diagnosis

The symptoms and signs of respiratory failure are not specific. Rather, they depend on what is causing the failure and on the patient's condition before it developed. Good general health and some degree of "reserve" lung function will help see a patient through an episode of respiratory failure. The key diagnostic determination is to measure the amount of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and acid in the blood at regular intervals. A sudden low oxygen level in the lung tissue may cause the arteries of the lungs to narrow. This, in turn, causes the resistance in these vessels to increase, which can be measured using a special catheter. A high blood level of C02 may cause increased pressure in the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord; this, too, can be measured.

Treatment

Nearly all patients are given oxygen as the first treatment. Then the underlying cause of respiratory failure must be treated. For example, antibiotics are used to fight a lung infection, or, for an asthmatic patient, a drug to open up the airways is commonly prescribed.

A patient whose breathing remains very poor will require a ventilator to aid breathing. A plastic tube is placed through the nose or mouth into the windpipe and is attached to a machine that forces air into the lungs. This can be a lifesaving treatment and should be continued until the patient's own lungs can take over the work of breathing. It is very important to use no more pressure than is necessary to provide sufficient oxygen; otherwise ventilation may cause further lung damage. Drugs are given to keep the patient calm, and the amount of fluid in the body is carefully adjusted so that the heart and lungs can function as normally as possible. Steroids, which combat inflammation, may sometimes be helpful but they can cause complications, including weakening the breathing muscles.

The respiratory therapist has a number of methods available to help patients overcome respiratory failure. They include:


Suctioning the lungs through a small plastic tube passed through the nose, in order to remove secretions from the airways that the patient cannot cough up.


Postural drainage, in which the patient is propped up at an angle or tilted to help secretions drain out of the lungs. The therapist may clap the patient on the chest or back to loosen the secretions, or a vibrator may be used for the same purpose.


Breathing exercises often are prescribed after the patient recovers. They make the patient feel better and help to strengthen the muscles that aid breathing. One useful method is for the patient to suck on a tube attached to a clear plastic hosing containing a ball so as to keep the ball lifted. Regular deep breathing exercises are simpler and often just as helpful. Another technique is to have the patient breathe out against pursed lips to increase pressure in the airways and keep them from collapsing.

Prognosis

The outlook for patients with respiratory failure depends chiefly on its cause. If the underlying disease can be effectively treated, with the patient's breathing supported in the meantime, the outlook is usually good.

Care is needed not to expose the patient to polluting substances in the atmosphere while recovering from respiratory failure; this could tip the balance against recovery. When respiratory failure develops slowly, pressure may build up in the lung's blood vessels, a condition called pulmonary hypertension. This condition may damage the vessels, worsen hypoxemia, and cause the heart to fail. If it is not possible to provide enough oxygen to the body, complications involving either the brain or the heart may prove fatal.

If the kidneys fail or the diseased lungs become infected, the prognosis is worse. In some cases, the primary disease causing the lungs to fail is irreversible. The patient, family, and physician together then must decide whether to prolong life by ventilator support. Occasionally, lung transplantation is a possibility, but it is a highly complex procedure and is not widely available

Prevention

Because respiratory failure is not a disease itself, but the end result of many lung disorders, the best prevention is to treat any lung disease promptly and effectively. It is also important to make sure that any patient who has had lung disease is promptly treated for any respiratory infection (even of the upper respiratory tract). Patients with lung problems should also avoid exposure to pollutants, as much as is possible. Once respiratory failure is present, it is best for a patient to receive treatment in an intensive care unit, where specialized personnel and all the needed equipment are available. Close supervision of treatment, especially mechanical ventilation, will help minimize complications that would compound the problem.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

low oxygen level is a symptom of an underlying lung problem. an abnormally low oxygen level in the arterial blood (we're talking REALLY abnormal numbers) could be found in patients suffering ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome), or even pulmonary emboli. this condition needs to be treated as soon as possible because it can pose a threat on the individual's health.

having low numbers is not normal. it could be that the reading is low -- but still on the normal side. having a severely low blood sugar, low blood pressure etc... can be life threatening if not treated.

Answer 4

Low oxygen in the blood can be diagnosed via a blood test. If you have Asthma then this will be the cause of it especially if you have gotten over a recent chest infection or have uncontrolled Asthma.

Any symptoms you are having that are worrying you should be mentioned to your doctor.

Answer 5

80 what? mmHg or % ... I need to know if your talking about the PaO2 (pressure of oxygen in the arterial blood) or the SpO2 (oxygen saturation via a pulse oximeter) ... In some conditions .. blood oxgen saturation (SpO2) can be around 80% and your body acclimates to it .. and NO you wouldn't have mental problems ... PS: You do not need an inhaler for treating oxygen levels ... they are not prescribed for that specifically .... although poor airway caliber caused by inflammation or bronchospasm can eventually get to the point that it interupts gas exchange and can reduce PaO2 ... at this point an inhaler might be an additional therapeutic intervention within the treatment regimen

Answer 6

Yes, one can have chronic low blood oxygen. People with end stage COPD usually have low oxygen levels that is treated with home oxygen use.

Answer 7

LOL--my blood is as 'low' as it goes--low pressure, low sugar, low count, low iron, and low oxygen. There's nothing in there, and what there is doesn't move.

You just have to live with it, dear. Folks like us live a long time, just a little more slowly.

Answer 8

The medical term you are referring to is hypoxia. Which means low blood oxygen. If one was to have hypoxia a common symptom is confusion. Simple blood tests can tell. Talk with your doctor.

Answer 9

yes this is a possible affliction that one can have and needs to be diagnosed.