Hypoxia is a condition where your body tissue doesn’t receive an adequate amount of oxygen to function normally. Oxygen deprivation can lead to organ damage so treating hypoxia right away is important. Here’s a look at the treatment options for hypoxia.
Treatments
Treatment for hypoxia depends on the cause, but the main goal is to supply oxygen to the blood as fast as possible. The sooner oxygen levels reach normal, the better the outlook is for the affected individual. Timing is critical, especially if the patient has cerebral hypoxia, which can develop within minutes, and in many cases this type of hypoxia may not be reversible.
Many respond well to additional oxygen that’s given by a nasal cannula, but some may need to be treated in a hyperbaric chamber that increases oxygen concentrations in the blood. This is commonly used for carbon monoxide poisoning. Others may need mechanical ventilation, where the oxygen is supplied at higher than normal atmospheric concentrations.
Cases that involve mountain climbers or airline passengers may require only extra oxygen provided by oxygen masks. Masks should be kept on until the patient's oxygen concentration levels are closer to normal—which are about 21%, in the atmosphere.
Careful care must be used when providing oxygen because it can be toxic to tissues if it’s used excessively. If this occurs, the patient will develop hyperoxia.
Can hypoxia be prevented?
Most often, the best treatment is prevention. Hypoxia can be prevented by avoiding situations that decrease the oxygen concentration in the environment— if this does occur you can still avoid hypoxia by providing oxygen via nasal cannula or oxygen masks.
Stopping hypoxia before it occurs will require identifying those at risk for the condition and providing them with oxygen as soon as early symptoms develop. Additionally, there are medications that can be taken for prevention and/or provide relief from hypoxia symptoms that are caused by medical conditions such as asthma.
