Journal of Clinical & Experimental Pathology
Open Access

Hypoxemia is the low level of oxygen within the blood. More specifically, it is oxygen deficiency in blood. Hypoxemia occurs when levels of oxygen within the blood are less than normal. If blood oxygen levels are too low, your body might not work properly. Blood carries oxygen to the cells throughout your body to stay them healthy. Hypoxemia can cause mild problems like headaches and shortness of breath. In severe cases, it can interact with heart and brain function. Hypoxemia which causes low oxygen levels in your body’s tissues is named hypoxia. Sometimes many people use the two terms interchangeably, but they are not equivalent. A variety of conditions and circumstances can interact with the body ability to deliver normal levels of oxygen to the blood. Hypoxemia can be caused by five categories of etiologies: hypoventilation, ventilation/perfusion mismatch, right-to-left shunt, diffusion impairment and low PO₂.

Some of the foremost common causes of hypoxemia include:

• Heart conditions including the heart defects

• The lung conditions such as asthma, emphysema, and bronchitis

• The locations of high altitudes where oxygen is lower

• Strong pain medications or other problems that slow breathing

• Sleep apnea which is an impaired breathing during sleep

• Inflammation or the scarring of the lung tissue

Symptoms

Hypoxemia symptoms can go away with treatment. Hypoxemia can cause symptoms like those in respiratory distress. Severe hypoxia can lead to respiratory failure. Depending on the cause, people with hypoxemia may require treatment once or on an ongoing basis. Symptoms of hypoxemia vary counting on the severity of the condition. The most well-known hypoxia indications are changes in the shade of your skin, confusion, cough, fast pulse, rapid relaxing, shortness of breath, slow pulse, sweating, wheezing.

Treatment

Treatment for hypoxemia means to raise the degrees of oxygen in the blood. Specialists can utilize medications to treat basic conditions that cause hypoxemia. These prescriptions are frequently given through an inhaler that empowers you to inhale the medication into your lungs. In more serious cases, your PCP might recommend oxygen treatment. Individuals normally get additional oxygen through a gadget called a cannula (tube) that is cut to the outside of the nose, or through a breathing mask. The location and amount of time the people receive oxygen therapy is based up on individual needs. You might get oxygen at home, with a portable machine while you travel or in the clinic.

Prevention

Early diagnosis and treatment can help and make the condition does not get worse and does not cause dangerous complications. There are steps you can take to prevent hypoxemia from returning after treatment. To increase the oxygen levels in your blood, one should follow the steps:

• Deep breathing exercises

• Mild exercises such as walking or yoga

• Eating a healthy diet

• Drinking plenty of water

• Quitting smoking