Contents:
- Medical Video: Pulse Oximetry for Newborns
- What happens if the oxygen level in the blood is low
- Causes of low blood oxygen levels
- How to prevent hypoxemia?
Medical Video: Pulse Oximetry for Newborns
The body needs oxygen to work. This oxygen is taken from the air and then enters the lungs and is received by the blood to be circulated to cells throughout the body. Oxygen levels in the blood are regulated by the body to maintain optimal health. Then, what if the blood oxygen level is low?
What happens if the oxygen level in the blood is low
Low blood oxygen levels are called hypoxemia. This will cause oxygen levels in the body's tissues to be low, called hypoxia, where blood cannot carry enough oxygen needed by the body. It is said hypoxemia when oxygen levels in arteries less than 80 mmHg. Hypoxemia can interfere with the normal functioning of the body, including the function of the brain, liver, heart and other organs.
When your blood oxygen level starts to low, you will feel symptoms such as:
- Shorter breath (shortness of breath), as a lung response to increase oxygen levels in the blood
- The heartbeat is faster, as the heart responds to help circulate oxygen in the blood throughout the body
- Chest pain, because the heart does not receive enough oxygen
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Confusion
- Restless
More severe hypoxemia can cause brain function to be disrupted. This can reduce attention and disorientation. In the respiratory system, this can cause irregular breathing. In the heart, severe hypoxemia can cause heart rate and blood pressure to decrease. In the end, very severe hypoxemia can cause coma or death.
Causes of low blood oxygen levels
Hypoxemia can be caused by various conditions and diseases, such as:
- Severe asthma attack
- Lung diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, bronchitis, pneumonia, pulmonary edema (there is fluid in the lungs), pulmonary embolism (the presence of blood clots in the arteries in the lungs), acute respiratory failure syndrome or lung damage due to trauma
- Heart problems, such as congenital heart disease
- Anemia, only a little red blood can carry oxygen
- Sleep apnea
- Cyanide poisoning
- Strong pain medications and other drugs that can suppress breathing
Conditions and diseases like the above can prevent the lungs from getting enough oxygen. Problems in the circulatory system can also prevent blood from taking oxygen and circulating it throughout the body.
How to prevent hypoxemia?
If you have a health problem that is at risk of causing hypoxemia, you should always check the oxygen level in your blood. If at any time you show symptoms of hypoxemia, you should consult a doctor to be treated immediately.
If you have asthma, you should always control your asthma every day in an effort to prevent hypoxemia. You can do this by:
- Taking asthma medication to prevent asthma symptoms appears
- Always have an inhaler if you have a relapse of asthma at any time
- Eat right and stay active
- Recognize the triggers for recurrence of asthma and know how to avoid them
In addition, several other things you can do to prevent hypoxemia are:
- Stop smoking, especially if you have lung disease
- Don't be passive smoking, avoid places where you are close to people who smoke
- Perform regular exercise to increase overall strength and endurance
