United Kingdom
A 25-year-old male asked about a 47-year-old female:
Are there any benign causes of low oxygen? maybe different breathing patterns?
1 doctor answer • 1 doctor weighed in
Dr. Dimitri Novitzkyanswered
Thoracic Surgery 54 years experience
Low oxygen?: You mean Oxygen saturation measured at the tip of the finger?. The normal is > 95 %, at the sea level.. Less to about 93-94 ia acceptable. < than 90 is abnormal,. The only benign cause for low O2 sat. is at high altitude, such as in mountain climbers, they carry compressed O2.. Indians from the Altiplano in Bolivia have an Hb of 18-19 %, while at the sea level is 14-13%.
Several factors are needed to continuously supply the cells and tissues in your body with oxygen:
There must be enough oxygen in the air you are breathing
Your lungs must be able to inhale the oxygen-containing air — and exhale carbon dioxide
Your bloodstream must be able to circulate blood to your lungs, take up the oxygen and carry it throughout your body
A problem with any of these factors — for example, high altitude, asthma or heart disease — might result in hypoxemia, particularly under more extreme conditions, such as exercise or illness. When your blood oxygen falls below a certain level, you might experience shortness of breath, headache, and confusion or restlessness.
Common causes of hypoxemia include:
Anemia
ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome)
Asthma
Congenital heart defects in children
COPD Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases
Emphysema
Interstitial lung disease
Medications, such as certain narcotics and anesthetics, that depress breathing
Pneumonia
Pneumothorax (collapsed lung)
Pulmonary edema
Pulmonary embolism (blood clot in an artery in the lung)
Pulmonary fibrosis
Sleep apnea
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Last updated May 13, 2016
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