Symptoms and Signs of Hypoxia
"Aviation Physiology", Federal Aviation Administration,
Civil Aeromedical Institute, Oklahoma City, OK
What is Hypoxia?
Hypoxia literally means "deficient in oxygen". Hypoxia is a shortage of oxygen in the body. Hypoxaemia is the reduction of oxygen specifically in the blood; anoxia is when there is no oxygen available at all. Environmental hypoxia is a condition in high altitudes such as mountains where the reduced partial pressure of oxygen available leads to hypoxia. Ischemia is a restriction in blood supply (and therefore oxygen supply) to an organ or section of the body, generally due to constriction or blocking of blood vessels.
What are the symptoms of Hypoxia?
You may not even recognize the symptoms of hypoxia because hypoxia is insidious in its onset. The signs and symptoms can be different for every person and may not occur in the same progression as listed below. Therefore, it is important to be aware of all the signs and symptoms.
Signs:
- Rapid Breathing
- Cyanosis
- Poor Coordination
- Lethargy/Lassitude
- Executing Poor Judgment
Symptoms:
- Air Hunger
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Mental and Muscle Fatigue
- Nausea
- Hot and Cold Flashes
- Tingling
- Visual Impairment
- Euphoria
How can you identify hypoxia?
By knowing the symptoms of hypoxia and monitoring your pulse rate and blood oxygen saturation with our finger pulse oximeters and handheld pulse oximeters which features/benefits include:
- Accurate oxygen saturation and pulse rate data in seconds
- Easy to use; automatically turns on/off with finger insertion/removal
- Compact size fits easily into a pocket
- Built to withstand extreme conditions
- Extremely lightweight
- Bright LED or LCD display is highly visible in the dark
- Moisture resistant
- Low battery indicator
- 1-year warranty
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