What are the potential complications of chronic hypoxemia?
hypoxemia is a health condition that occurs when the body cannot get enough oxygen. Chronic hypoxemia is when the body has low blood oxygen levels in the arterial blood. The condition generally occurs when a person has anemia, a primary lack of hemoglobin or lung disease. Potential complications of chronic hypoxemia include pulmonary hypertension - elevated blood pressure in the lungs - impaired brain function, heart attack, hypoxia and secondary polycymia. When blood pressure is in the pulmonary arteries - higher than normal, it increases blood pressure in the right chamber of the heart. This forces the heart more harder to work on drawing blood, which can lead to the hpokozi tissue EART. Over time, chronic hypoxemia can continue to damage heart tissue until the damage becomes so large that it causes the right side of the heart, causing a heart attack.
as well as other organs in the body, the brain requiresTo make the steady supply of oxygen properly. When the brain is hungry from oxygen during chronic hypoxia, this may cause the person to have poor judgment and loss of coordination. Loss of oxygen into the brain can also cause euphoria or intense feeling of happiness, enthusiasm, excitement and well -being.
When the body cells are starved with oxygen due to chronic hypoxemia, it can cause hypoxia. Hypoxia is a total level of oxygen in the blood that can affect the whole body - at this point is called generalized hypoxia - or body area - known as tissue hypoxia. This can cause headaches, fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea and in extreme cases the loss of consciousness, coma, seizures, priapism, cyanosis and death.
Secondary polycythemy is the name given when bone marrow produces too many red blood cells in response to low blood oxygen levels. Low oxygen levels cause high erythropoetin production (EPO), a type of enzyme produced by the kidneys and liver. Enzyme enters redbone marrow and causes red blood cells to produce in a process called erythropoiesis. Red blood cells carry oxygen in the blood, so in an attempt to increase the oxygen level in the blood are made more red blood cells. Common symptoms of secondary polycythemia are dizziness, shortness of breath, fatigue or physical weakness, chronic cough and sleep apnea.