Chronic hypoxemia, caused by anemia, hemoglobin deficiency, or lung disease, can lead to pulmonary hypertension, impaired brain function, heart attack, hypoxia, and secondary polycythemia. Complications can include heart tissue damage, loss of coordination, and even death.
Hypoxemia is a medical condition that occurs when the body cannot get enough oxygen. Chronic hypoxemia is when the body has long periods of low blood oxygen levels in the arterial blood. The condition generally occurs when a person has anemia, a primary hemoglobin deficiency, or lung disease. Potential complications of chronic hypoxemia include pulmonary hypertension – increased blood pressure in the lungs – impaired brain function, heart attack, hypoxia, and secondary polycythemia.
High blood pressure in the lungs resulting from chronic hypoxemia is caused by low oxygen levels in arterial blood, which can be caused by smaller blood vessels narrowing and preventing normal blood flow through them. When blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs — the pulmonary arteries — is higher than normal, blood pressure in the right ventricle of the heart increases. This forces the heart to work harder to pump blood, which can lead to heart tissue damage. Over time, chronic hypoxemia can continue to damage heart tissue until the damage becomes so great that it causes the right side of the heart to fail, resulting in a heart attack.
Just like other organs in the body, the brain requires a constant supply of oxygen to function properly. When the brain is starved of oxygen during chronic hypoxia, it can cause poor judgment and a loss of coordination. Loss of oxygen to the brain can also cause euphoria or an intense feeling of happiness, elation, excitement and well-being.
When the cells of the body are starved of oxygen due to chronic hypoxemia, it can cause hypoxia. Hypoxia is a general low blood oxygen level that can affect the whole body – at which point it is called generalized hypoxia – or a region of the body – known as tissue hypoxia. It can cause headache, fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea and, in extreme cases, loss of consciousness, coma, convulsions, priapism, cyanosis and death.
Secondary polycythemia is the name given when the bone marrow produces too many red blood cells in response to low blood oxygen levels. Low oxygen levels cause high production of erythropoietin (Epo), a type of enzyme produced by the kidneys and liver. The enzyme enters the red bone marrow and causes it to start producing red blood cells in a process called erythropoiesis. Red blood cells carry oxygen in the blood, so more red blood cells are produced in the body’s attempt to raise blood oxygen levels. Common symptoms of secondary polycythemia are dizziness, shortness of breath, physical fatigue or weakness, chronic cough, and sleep apnea.
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