Hypoxemia occurs when oxygen levels in the bloodstream drop below 90%, causing symptoms such as shallow breathing, headaches, and bluish skin. Doctors use a pulse oximeter to measure blood oxygenation, with levels below 95% indicating potential issues. Hypoxemia can be caused by lung disease, environmental factors, and other medical conditions. Treatment involves increasing oxygen intake, potentially through a ventilator or oxygen tanks, as well as other lifestyle changes.
When the oxygen concentration in the bloodstream drops below 90%, doctors are likely to diagnose a patient with hypoxemia, which occurs in tandem with an overall body shortage of oxygen called hypoxia. Also known as oxygen desaturation, the condition is primarily characterized by shallow, labored breathing. Other symptoms of hypoxemia are also likely, from headaches, numbness and bluish skin to neurological difficulties, lethargy and even a sense of euphoria.
Doctors encourage at-risk patients to regularly test blood oxygenation with a pulse oximeter. This device clips onto a fingertip and directs light through the skin which is absorbed differently depending on the approximate oxygenation of the blood. Any reading north of 95% is considered healthy. Doctors can start taking notes when levels fall below that threshold, with 90% of the threshold being accepted before diagnosing hypoxemia.
Neurological difficulties may develop as signs of hypoxemia and hypoxia, as well as chronic shortness of breath. These could include a lack of coordination, vision problems, euphoric feelings or an inability to concentrate. The symptoms of this could also take on a more concrete physical form with headaches, nausea, lethargy, and bluish skin and tingling. Severe cases can result in death, coma, loss of consciousness, or seizures.
An integral part of treating the symptoms of hypoxemia is addressing its potential causes. The main suspect is lung disease, which could result from a condition such as cancer, cystic fibrosis or even emphysema. However, several other causes are possible, such as hypoventilation, a shunt procedure, asthma, anemia, arterial damage, prescription interactions, pneumonia, airway obstruction, and even heart disease. Many environmental factors can also exacerbate the condition, from high altitudes and smoking to obesity and pollution.
The symptoms of hypoxemia are similar to those suffering from other oxygenation problems. When hypoxemia progresses rapidly due to a sudden lack of oxygen supply, some refer to the condition as anoxia. Asphyxiation combines this lack of supply with an overabundance of toxic carbon dioxide.
After initial tests with a pulse oximeter, doctors are likely to confirm suspicions with a blood test that can get a more accurate percentage of blood oxygenation. The symptoms of hypoxemia are often addressed by rapidly increasing the patient’s oxygen intake. This may require a ventilator or just oxygen tanks. Other treatments may include sleep therapy, dietary changes, an exercise regimen, and breathing exercises to optimize lung capacity.
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