Oxygen does not enter the blood. Exogenous causes include: Hypoxemia in children

The brain is the organ that consumes greatest number oxygen from the blood circulating throughout the body. Therefore, it is very sensitive to hypoxia or oxygen starvation. Nerve cells are sensitive to hypoxia. Lack of oxygen in the brain is manifested by the following symptoms:

1. Dizziness.
2. Weakness.
3. Fainting.
4. Malfunctions of the heart.
5. Pale skin.
6. Darkening of the eyes or white flies.
7. Visual impairment.
8. Coma.
9. Nausea.
10. Headache.

Find out: types of oxygen starvation.

Degrees: diagnosis and treatment, how to avoid serious consequences.

Symptoms of lack of oxygen

Dizziness is one of the early symptoms lack of oxygen in the brain. At the same time, the person’s activity is impaired vestibular apparatus, available . Dizziness is often accompanied by nausea and sometimes vomiting. Weakness often appears, the patient looks pale, his eyes darken or white spots appear.

During hypoxia, the entire body suffers, and the heart tries to compensate for the hypoxic state by increasing the frequency of contractions. Therefore, tachycardia occurs, interruptions in heart function, and increased apical impulse.

With a more serious and prolonged lack of oxygen in the brain, a symptom such as loss of consciousness occurs. It can be short-term and superficial, as in coma, or deep and long-lasting, as in coma. Long stay in a coma, it aggravates the hypoxic state, as the work of the respiratory center in the brain stem is upset and inhibited.

Important! How long does the brain live without oxygen?? Without blood supply, he will endure no more than 5–6 minutes. Next comes biological death ascertained by a doctor.

If nerve cells die, the following disorders may occur:

1. Post-stroke depression.
2. Loss of memory and skills.
3. Increased irritability.

Causes of lack of oxygen

Hypoxia has many causes: chronic diseases, prolonged physical activity, acute conditions. The main factors in the development of central hypoxia nervous system:

1. Disorder of general circulation: shock, collapse.
2. Cerebrovascular accident.
3. Diseases of the bronchopulmonary system.
4. Anemia.
5. Cardiovascular diseases: VSD, stenosis, heart valve insufficiency.
6. Endocrine diseases: diabetes mellitus, hypo- or hyperthyroidism.

Shock and collapse

Shock occurs when the body does not have normal blood supply to organs. This happens when heavy blood loss, anaphylactic reactions (allergies), burns with plasmorrhagia (leakage of plasma), dehydration, severe heart failure, toxic shock.

Hemorrhagic shock is a circulatory disorder after massive blood loss. Blood circulation is centralized so that the blood flow is sufficient for the most vital important bodies: heart, brain.

The body is able to compensate for some of the blood volume deficit by activating the sympathoadrenal and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone systems. These hormonal systems narrow peripheral vessels, retain water in the body, and also stimulate the heart. These processes occur with all types of shock. When blood loss occurs, hematopoiesis is activated.

Collapse is a condition in which peripheral vessels are dilated due to a decrease in their tone. Shock states and collapse have equally detrimental effects on nerve cells, causing oxygen starvation and loss of consciousness.

Cerebral blood supply disorders

These include:

1. Hemorrhagic and ischemic strokes.
2. Transient ischemic attack.
3. Atherosclerosis of cerebral vessels.
4. Vascular spasm or dilatation.

Hemorrhagic stroke is usually caused by excess blood pressure on fragile vessels. In this case, the artery ruptures and hemorrhage occurs. As a result, the delivery of blood to a certain part of the central nervous system stops, and he dies.

The cause is usually arterial thrombosis. If the clot does not dissolve, it closes the artery and blood flow is blocked.

Transient ischemic attack occurs when blood circulation in the carotid arteries, going along the neck to the head. In this case, a temporary shutdown of the blood supply occurs, the person feels dizzy, and spots flash before the eyes.

Atherosclerotic vasoconstriction impairs blood circulation. At the same time, the patient’s hair turns gray early, and yellow spots There are cholesterol deposits on the eyelids.

Spasm of blood vessels in the head is usually a consequence psychological stress. The release of adrenaline and cortisol leads to sharp narrowing arteries. Vasodilation occurs during migraines and cluster pain. They may be caused by acidosis or acidification internal environment or allergic conditions.

Diseases of the respiratory and cardiac system

Chronic diseases of the lungs and bronchi lead to a decrease in oxygen levels in the blood. In this case, the color of the skin in patients may be pale bluish, with the nose, ears, fingers and toes being more intensely colored. A sign of chronic hypoxia - fingers in the form drumsticks, nails look like watch glasses.

Diseases of the respiratory system that cause a hypoxic state include:

1. Obstructive bronchitis.
2. Asthma.
3. Pneumosclerosis.
4. Emphysema.

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Vegetative-vascular dystonia and heart failure cause hypoxia in the nervous system. In this case, weakness occurs, fainting and profuse sweating are also possible.

How to treat hypoxia?

To increase resistance to hypoxia, antihypoxants are used, such as:

1. Preductal (Mildronate).
2. Trimetazidine.
3. Cytoflavin.
4. Actovegin.
5. Vitamins B1, B9, B12.

How to saturate the brain with oxygen? This can be done in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, where oxygen is supplied at elevated pressure. The nervous system is sensitive to oxygen starvation and cannot tolerate it for long without consequences. If you have the above symptoms, you need to consult a neurologist.

Hypoxia or speaking in simple language- oxygen starvation of the brain is serious illness, which requires diagnosis and treatment. Hypoxia blocks the flow of oxygen to nerve connections. In the case where there are no symptoms of dysfunction, the brain can withstand 4 seconds of acute hypoxia; just a few seconds after the cessation of blood supply, the person loses consciousness; after 30 seconds, the person falls into a coma.

The most serious outcome when this violation is the death of a person. Therefore, it is important to know the main brain symptoms and symptoms that will help identify the first signs of a disorder and avoid severe consequences and long-term treatment.

There are 3 types of hypoxia:

• Fulminant hypoxia – development occurs quickly, within a few seconds and minutes;

• Acute hypoxia - lasts for several hours, the cause may be a heart attack, poisoning;

• Chronic deficiency - develops long time, the reasons are, heart failure, cerebral atherosclerosis, heart disease.

Causes of oxygen starvation

Oxygen deficiency in the brain can be caused by several reasons:

1. Respiratory – the brain is not able to receive the proper amount of oxygen due to impaired respiratory processes. Examples include diseases such as pneumonia, bronchial asthma, and chest trauma.

1. Cardiovascular - a violation of blood circulation in the brain. The reasons may be: state of shock, thrombosis. Normalizing the functioning of the heart and blood vessels helps prevent the development of cerebral stroke.

1. Hypoxic – oxygen starvation, which occurs when oxygen in the air decreases. The most striking example is climbers who, when climbing a mountain, most clearly feel the lack of oxygen.

1. Blood – with this factor, oxygen transport is disrupted. The main reason is anemia.

1. Tissue – development occurs due to disruption of oxygen transport. The cause may be poisons or medications that could destroy or block enzyme systems.

Main symptoms

Symptoms of lack of oxygen in the brain may manifest differently in each person. In one patient, sensitivity may decrease, lethargy may appear, and in another, headaches may begin.

The main symptoms of oxygen starvation of the brain:

• Dizziness, the possibility of loss of consciousness due to inhibition of the activity of the nervous system. The patient experiences severe attacks of nausea and vomiting;
• Visual impairment, darkness in the eyes.
• Change in skin color. The skin turns pale or red. The brain reacts and tries to restore blood flow, resulting in cold sweat.
• Adrenaline increases, after which comes muscle weakness and lethargy in the patient. A person ceases to control his movements and actions.
• Irritability, resentment appear, depression and other mental disorders develop.
• Inattention, the patient has difficulty absorbing information, mental performance decreases.

The final stage of the disease with oxygen starvation is the development of coma, and then soon respiratory and cardiac arrest.

If the patient is provided with timely health care, all body functions can be restored.

Diagnosis and treatment

To determine the patient's current condition and whether he is truly sick, a number of medical tests are required.

These include:

• Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain. This method shows the consequences of oxygen deficiency. At this method you can see areas of the brain where sufficiently saturated oxygen arrives.

• Ultrasound is a method that allows you to determine deviations from the norm during the development of a child in the womb. Allows you to determine oxygen starvation at the initial stage.

• General analysis blood and clinical tests on acid-base balance.

• General and selective angiography.

Treatment of oxygen deficiency primarily involves restoring the required supply of oxygen to the brain.

If there is a lack of oxygen in the brain, the following measures are prescribed:

• Maintenance normal operation cardiovascular and respiratory systems;
• Drugs to improve blood circulation in the brain;
• Antihypoxanes;
• Decongestants;
• Bronchodilators.

Also held radical treatment illness when the patient is already in serious condition. This treatment includes: blood transfusion, installation of an oxygen mask, procedures for resuscitation of the patient.

Prevention of hypoxia

Preventing a disease is always easier than treating it. For normal oxygen intake into the body, you just need to follow the recommendations of specialists. These tips can be used both for the prevention and treatment of oxygen deficiency.

Key tips include:

1. Fresh air Walks should take at least 2 hours, preferably before bedtime. Walking is best done in an environmentally friendly clean places(parks, forest).

1. Sport. Light exercise in the morning helps better blood circulation, and if you do this also on the street, the effect will be doubled.

1. Correct daily routine. You need to normalize your routine, allocate the required time for rest and sleep. To normalize processes in the body, you need to devote at least 7-8 hours to sleep. Don't forget to warm up if you work at a desk.

1. Proper nutrition. For normal oxygen supply to the brain, no last resort food plays. The diet should consist of large quantity vegetables and fruits. Food should be consumed rich in iron(buckwheat, meat, dried fruits), while dairy products and coffee consumption must be kept to a minimum.

1. No stress. Try to avoid stressful situations and not get nervous in vain.

Respiratory prevention of oxygen deficiency

One of the most convenient and simple ways disease prevention is breathing exercises. This method is very easy to use and does not require any additional effort.

A few useful exercises to take note:

1. Relax completely, you need to do 4 seconds deep breath, then hold your breath for the same time and exhale slowly. Repeat about 12-15 times. After 1 month, increase the time of inhalation and exhalation.

1. Take a deep breath and take at least 6-7 short exhalations through your nose. The mouth remains closed. Repeat 3-4 times.

It is advisable to repeat these exercises 2 to 4 times a day.

Oxygen starvation in newborns

Symptoms of lack of oxygen in the brain can appear in a newborn during the period when the baby is still in the womb, or immediately during childbirth. Hypoxia in a severe stage, not rarely, can lead to serious consequences for both mother and baby.

Of these we can note:

• Premature birth;

• Intrauterine death of a child;

• Stillbirth;

• Severe disability of the child.

Reasons why these severe consequences may occur in children:

1. Problems of the cardiovascular system;

1. Intrauterine infections;

1. Improper lifestyle (alcohol, cigarettes, drugs);

1. Fetal pathology;

1. Birth injuries.

Oxygen deficiency, as a diagnosis, is made in approximately 15% of pregnancies.

Most often, brain hypoxia in a child develops due to wrong image mother's life, drinking alcohol, smoking.

Therefore, in order for your child to grow up as a healthy and strong child, you should give up bad habits.

Danger of brain hypoxia

A state of oxygen starvation can lead to pathological changes. Violated brain activity and basic brain functions.

Whether the prognosis is favorable depends on the degree of brain damage and at what stage the disease was discovered.

A person's chances of recovery also depend on his current condition. With a prolonged coma, the basic functions of the body are impaired and the chance of recovery becomes very low.

With a short-term coma, the chances of rehabilitation are very high. However, treatment may take quite some time.

Video

Doctors call oxygen starvation of the brain hypoxia. This condition occurs as a result of insufficient oxygen supply to the human body. Also, the cause may be various disruptions in its functioning - there are situations when cells fail to absorb oxygen. In any case, the body's cells do not receive enough oxygen.

Hypoxia can be short-term or last for quite a long time. In the second case, it often becomes the cause pathological changes, life-threatening. This is due to the fact that prolonged oxygen starvation causes structural changes and leads to cell death. It is worth noting that the consequences of oxygen deprivation do not always appear immediately, but in any case you should immediately contact a specialist.

Causes of oxygen starvation

Oxygen starvation can occur for a variety of reasons. The most common of them include the following:

1. Climbing greater height, work on a submarine. IN in this case the reason is obvious: insufficient amount of inhaled oxygen.
2. Blockage respiratory tract or foreign objects getting into them.
3. Poisoning carbon monoxide. In this situation, acute oxygen starvation is observed. This is due to the fact that the blood cannot supply oxygen to the tissues, and hypoxia eventually develops.
4. Heart disease or myocardial infarction. In this situation the reason insufficient blood supply tissue is a disruption of the cardiac system.

Symptoms of oxygen starvation

Hypoxia is accompanied by excitement of the nervous system, after which the state of euphoria and excitement is replaced by general fatigue and lethargy. Other symptoms of oxygen deprivation include dizziness, cold sweat, and palpitations. Cramps and erratic muscle activity may also occur.

In addition, oxygen starvation causes changes unconditioned reflexes, and this happens individually for each person. Some people experience a gradual loss of reflexes - first the skin reflexes fade, then the periosteal reflexes disappear, then the tendon reflexes, and eventually the patient loses the visual ones. In other people, only some reflexes disappear, while the rest continue to work for a certain time.

If oxygen starvation occurs very quickly, the patient may lose consciousness for a while. In addition, there are situations when the patient falls into a coma. Moreover, coma can be different - terminal, sluggish, hyperactive, subcortical. In severe cases, coma leads to depression of the central nervous system, disruption of breathing rhythm, and decreased brain activity. During recovery, the patient experiences a feeling of stupefaction, after which the functions of the cerebral cortex are gradually restored.

Diagnostics

In order to determine oxygen starvation of the brain, the following research methods are prescribed:

• blood analysis;
• electrocardiogram;
• electroencephalogram;
• Magnetic resonance imaging;
• computed tomography of the brain.

Treatment of hypoxia

In any case, a person suffering from oxygen starvation of the brain needs emergency assistance. When the first symptoms appear, you must immediately call a doctor, and before his arrival, provide the patient with an influx of fresh air. You need to unbutton tight clothes, do artificial respiration, pour the water out of the lungs, take it out of the smoky room into fresh air.

Doctors then ensure that the body is oxygenated. In particularly severe situations, a blood transfusion may be needed. If necessary, a person is prescribed decongestants, as well as various therapeutic procedures. To treat hypoxia in newborns, they are placed in a special chamber and resuscitation measures, introduce nutrient solutions.

Prevention of oxygen starvation

Of course, it is necessary to try to prevent the development of this condition. To do this you need to adhere healthy image life, to visit as much as possible fresh air, exercise. In addition, you should be regularly examined by a doctor and take medications that improve blood flow to the brain.

In order to prevent this condition, the use of oxygen cocktails. In addition, you can breathe in enriched oxygen, to which eucalyptus, lavender, and mint fragrances are added. Beauty salons also offer oxygen therapy as an anti-aging treatment.

To prevent diseases caused by oxygen starvation, hyperbaric oxygenation is used. In this case, the patient is placed in a pressure chamber, and there he is exposed to compressed oxygen. This procedure indicated for people who suffer from various vascular diseases and coronary heart disease.

Oxygen starvation of the brain- This is enough dangerous condition, which can lead to serious problems with health. That’s why it’s so important to deliver on time correct diagnosis and appoint necessary treatment. These activities will help preserve good health for many years.

The human body can function adequately only under proper conditions energy balance. This indicator is regulated by the level of oxygen in the blood. Decline percentage oxygen in an organ (department) of any of the internal systems of the body leads to complete or partial dysfunction of this organ (department).

The brain is no exception in this regard. A short-term oxygen diet may not result in significant violations, but the short-term period in this case does not exceed 4 seconds. Time periods bigger size in a state of oxygen starvation, they cause the destruction of brain cells.

Symptoms

Imagine two completely different pictures.

Scene one:

• Sharp emotive activity.
• Some signs of hyperactivity.
• Acceleration heart rate, sweating and pallor.

The previous paragraphs are replaced by:

• A sharp decrease in motor activity.
• Inattention.
• Darkness in the eyes.
• Fainting (in as a last resort convulsions).

A few minutes after losing consciousness, the person enters a coma state.

Picture two:

• A severe headache lasts for several days or even weeks.
• Insomnia or, conversely, excessive sleepiness.
• Conditions similar to depression.
• IN in some cases vision and hearing deteriorate.

Both of these sketches illustrate the lack of oxygen supply to the brain.

Causes and rate of development of oxygen starvation of the brain

Oxygen starvation of the brain (otherwise hypoxia) can be caused by exogenous (external) and endogenous (internal) reasons.

Exogenous causes include:

• Low percentage of oxygen in the air.
• Excess carbon monoxide.
• Blockage of the airways.
• Alcohol poisoning.
• Being in places with different pressure indicators (lower at altitude and higher at depth).

In number endogenous causes usually include disturbances of the body and certain of its functions:

1. Problems with blood circulation.
2. Paralysis of muscles associated with the respiratory system.
3. Painful shock and other categories of shock conditions.
4. Inability to absorb oxygen at the cellular level.
5. Heart diseases.

The rate of development of cerebral hypoxia varies:

• Lightning-fast option (maximum – a few minutes).
• Acute variant (usually a consequence of bleeding or severe poisoning).
• Chronic variant (called accordingly chronic diseases, for example, disturbances in the functioning of the heart).

What effect does a lack of oxygen in the brain have on the body?

The most traumatic are fulminant and acute hypoxia. Unfortunately, the disorders that occur with these types of CGM are irreversible. Even if access to oxygen has been restored, no one can guarantee full resuscitation of brain functions. Many areas of the brain affected negative impact, soften and subsequently can provoke the appearance of a host of various diseases.

How long does the brain live without oxygen?

The maximum possible duration of normal functioning of the brain in the absence of oxygen supply does not exceed five minutes. After this, irreversible changes and tissue destruction begin. After 10 minutes, death can be confirmed with 99% confidence.

Key points in treating oxygen deprivation of the brain

The most significant thing when choosing methods for treating CHM is what exact form of hypoxia occurs.

If the patient is able acute CGM, then you need:

• Provide support for his respiratory and cardiac systems.
• Compensate for acidosis (acid-base balance imbalance).
• Apply techniques to slow down metabolism, as this simultaneously slows down tissue death.

Of the medications, the most commonly used are those designed to improve blood circulation and protect nerve cells.

Treatment of chronic CGM depends entirely on finding its real cause. The recovery process may include special breathing procedures, taking medications that increase hemoglobin (which is responsible for the transfer of oxygen through the vessels to tissues and organs) and medications that improve blood supply to organs and tissues.

How to prevent hypoxia and saturate the brain with oxygen?

In addition to strictly medical approaches, including the use of drugs and the use of HBOT (hyperbaric oxygen therapy), the degree of oxygen saturation of the brain can be independently regulated. To do this, it is first recommended to perform calm breathing exercises.

By the way, most modern people absolutely does not know how to breathe, believing that a deep breath only means expansion chest, while the movement of the abdomen should also be included here. But you can learn more about this from other sources.

Besides correct breathing, you should instill in yourself a love for long walks and performing light sports exercises that activate blood circulation.

In some cases, a special diet may help, but it must be agreed with a specialist.

Probably almost everyone knows the feeling of lack of air when the elevator stops working and you have to go up to the ninth floor, or when you are running after the bus because you are late for work... But breathing problems can arise even at rest. What are the symptoms and causes of shortness of breath? What to do if there is not enough air?

Why is there not enough air when breathing?

Difficulty breathing, called shortness of breath or dyspnea, has many causes, affecting the airways, lungs, and heart. Shortness of breath can be caused by various factors - for example, increased physical activity, stress, and respiratory diseases. If your breathing can be described as rapid and noisy, the depth of inhalation and exhalation periodically changes, if at times there is a feeling of lack of air, then it is necessary to understand the situation, since such symptoms can be dangerous to health and indicate serious illnesses.

The most common causes of shortness of breath are:

• Unhealthy Lifestyle;
• poorly ventilated area;
• pulmonary diseases;
• heart diseases;
• psychosomatic disorders (for example, vegetative-vascular dystonia);
• chest injuries.

Let's look at each of the reasons in more detail.

Shortness of breath due to lifestyle

If you don't have heart or lung disease, your breathing difficulty may be due to an insufficiently active lifestyle. Here are some tips to prevent shortness of breath symptoms.

• When shortness of breath occurs physical activity, for example, when running or walking for a long time, this indicates insufficient physical training or being overweight. Try to exercise and reconsider your diet - if there is a lack of nutrients, shortness of breath is also not uncommon.
• Shortness of breath is a common occurrence among smokers, since the respiratory system is extremely vulnerable when smoking. In this case, inhale full breasts perhaps just by breaking a bad habit. Doctors also recommend taking an X-ray of the lungs once a year, regardless of whether there are health problems or not.
• Frequent drinking of alcohol can also cause shortness of breath, since alcohol negatively affects the cardiovascular system and increases the likelihood of a heart attack, heart rhythm disturbances and other diseases.
• The possibility of shortness of breath should not be excluded during emotional shocks or frequent stress. Eg, panic attacks are accompanied by the release of adrenaline into the blood, after which the tissues require more oxygen and the person suffocates. Health problems are also indicated by frequent yawning– it is a sign of brain hypoxia.

Shortness of breath due to poorly ventilated areas

As you know, in a living room - a constant companion bad mood and headaches. However, an overabundance carbon dioxide has more serious consequences - fainting, deterioration of memory and concentration, sleep disturbances and constant shortage air. To work productively, you need a constant flow of air from the street. that it can be difficult to regularly ventilate the house: in winter, for example, through open window too cold air enters, so there is a chance of getting sick. Noise from the street or insufficiently clean air on the other side of the window can also interfere with your comfortable well-being. The best solution in this situation would be with air purification and heating systems. It is also worth mentioning, with which you can remotely control climate control devices and measure CO2 levels, temperature and air humidity.

Shortness of breath due to lung dysfunction

Very often, lack of air is associated precisely with pulmonary diseases. People with impaired lung function experience severe shortness of breath during exercise. During physical exercise the body releases more and consumes more oxygen. Respiratory center in the brain, it speeds up breathing when blood oxygen levels are low or carbon dioxide levels are high. If the lungs are not functioning normally, even a small effort can significantly increase the breathing rate. Shortness of breath can be so unpleasant that patients specifically avoid any physical actions. In case of serious pulmonary pathologies, air deficiency occurs even at rest.

Shortness of breath may result from:

• restrictive (or restrictive) breathing disorders - the lungs cannot fully expand when breathing, therefore, their volume decreases, and a sufficient amount of oxygen does not reach the tissues;
• obstructive breathing disorders - for example, . At similar diseases The airways narrow and require significant effort to expand when breathing. For asthmatics who experience shortness of breath during an attack, doctors usually advise keeping an inhaler handy.

Shortness of breath due to heart disease

One of the common heart disorders that negatively affects the depth and intensity of breathing is heart failure. The heart supplies blood to organs and tissues. If the heart does not transport enough blood (i.e., heart failure), fluid accumulates in the lungs, gas exchange is impaired, and a disorder called pulmonary edema occurs. Pulmonary edema causes shortness of breath, which is often accompanied by a feeling of suffocation or heaviness in the chest.

Some people with heart failure experience orthopnea and/or paroxysmal nocturnal shortness of breath. Orthopnea is shortness of breath that occurs when lying down. People with this disorder are forced to sleep sitting up. Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea is a sudden severe shortness of breath that occurs during sleep and is accompanied by the patient awakening. This disorder is an extreme form of orthopnea. Also, paroxysmal nocturnal shortness of breath is a sign of severe heart failure.

Shortness of breath may occur when sharp increase level blood pressure if you are hypertensive. High pressure leads to overload of the heart, disruption of its functions and a feeling of lack of oxygen. The causes of shortness of breath can also be tachycardia, myocardial infarction, ischemic disease hearts and others cardiovascular pathologies. In any case, put accurate diagnosis and only an experienced doctor can prescribe appropriate treatment.

Shortness of breath due to anemia (anemia)

When anemia occurs, a person has a decreased level of hemoglobin and a decreased number of red blood cells. Since hemoglobin and red blood cells carry oxygen from the lungs to the tissues, when they are deficient, the amount of oxygen supplied by the blood decreases. Patients feel the lack of air especially acutely during physical activity, because blood cannot deliver increased level oxygen needed by the body. In addition to shortness of breath, symptoms include headache, loss of strength, problems with concentration and memory. The main way get rid of lack of air during anemia - eliminate the root cause, i.e. restore the level of hemoglobin and red blood cells in the blood.

Dyspnea with vegetative-vascular dystonia

Vegetovascular dystonia is a disorder of the autonomic nervous system. Typically, patients complain of a feeling of a lump in the throat, rapid breathing, and a feeling of lack of air. Respiratory disorders intensify in conditions that require stress on the nervous system: passing an exam, interview, speaking in public, etc. Reasons vegetative-vascular dystonia may be caused by excessive mental, physical or emotional stress, hormonal imbalances, or chronic diseases.

One of the most common manifestations of vegetative-vascular dystonia is hyperventilation syndrome, which leads to “excessive breathing.” Many people mistakenly believe that hyperventilation is a lack of oxygen. In fact, hyperventilation syndrome represents a lack of carbon dioxide in the blood. When a person with this syndrome breathes too quickly, they exhale more carbon dioxide than necessary. A decrease in the level of carbon dioxide in the blood leads to the fact that hemoglobin strongly combines with oxygen and the latter has difficulty entering the tissues. When sharply severe symptoms For shortness of breath, doctors recommend breathing into a bag pressed tightly to your mouth. The exhaled air will accumulate in the bag, and by inhaling it again, the patient will replenish the CO2 deficiency.

Other diseases

A violation of the integrity of the chest can cause shortness of breath. At various injuries(for example, when a rib is broken), a feeling of lack of air occurs due to pronounced pain in the chest. Difficulty breathing can also be caused by other ailments - for example, diabetes mellitus or allergies. In this case it is required comprehensive examination and treatment by a specialized specialist. Getting rid of breathing problems is only possible if the source of the disease is neutralized.

Not enough air: causes of breathing difficulties - cardiogenic, pulmonary, psychogenic, others

Breathing is a natural physiological act that occurs constantly and to which most of us do not pay attention, because the body itself regulates the depth and frequency breathing movements depending on the situation. The feeling of not having enough air is probably familiar to everyone. It may appear after a quick run, climbing stairs to a high floor, or strong excitement, But healthy body quickly copes with such shortness of breath, bringing breathing back to normal.

If short-term shortness of breath after exercise does not cause serious concern, quickly disappearing during rest, then long-term or suddenly occurring sudden difficulty breathing can signal a serious pathology, often requiring immediate treatment. Acute lack of air when the airways are blocked by a foreign body, pulmonary edema, or an asthmatic attack can cost life, so any breathing disorder requires clarification of its cause and timely treatment.

Not only the respiratory system is involved in the process of breathing and providing tissues with oxygen, although its role, of course, is paramount. It is impossible to imagine breathing without the proper functioning of the muscular frame of the chest and diaphragm, the heart and blood vessels, and the brain. Breathing is influenced by blood composition, hormonal status, activity of the nerve centers of the brain and many external reasons - sports training, abundant food, emotions.

The body successfully adapts to fluctuations in the concentration of gases in the blood and tissues, increasing the frequency of respiratory movements if necessary. When there is a lack of oxygen or an increased need for it, breathing becomes more frequent. Acidosis, which accompanies a number of infectious diseases, fever, and tumors, provokes increased breathing to remove excess carbon dioxide from the blood and normalize its composition. These mechanisms turn on themselves, without our will or effort, but in some cases they become pathological.

Any respiratory disorder, even if the cause seems obvious and harmless, requires examination and differentiated approach in treatment, therefore, if you feel that there is not enough air, it is better to immediately go to a doctor - a therapist, cardiologist, neurologist, psychotherapist.

Causes and types of breathing problems

When a person has difficulty breathing and lacks air, they speak of shortness of breath. This sign is considered an adaptive act in response to an existing pathology or reflects a natural physiological process adaptation to changing external conditions. In some cases it becomes difficult to breathe, but unpleasant feeling lack of air does not occur, since hypoxia is eliminated by an increased frequency of respiratory movements - in case of carbon monoxide poisoning, work in breathing apparatus, a sharp rise to altitude.

Dyspnea can be inspiratory or expiratory. In the first case, there is not enough air when inhaling, in the second - when exhaling, but it is also possible mixed type when it is difficult to both inhale and exhale.

Shortness of breath does not always accompany illness; it can be physiological, and this is quite natural state. The causes of physiological shortness of breath are:

• Physical exercise;
• Excitement, strong emotional experiences;
• Being in a stuffy, poorly ventilated room, in the highlands.

Physiological increased breathing occurs reflexively and goes away after a short time. People with bad physical fitness Those who have a sedentary “office” job suffer from shortness of breath in response to physical effort more often than those who regularly visit the gym, swimming pool, or simply take daily walks. As the overall physical development, shortness of breath occurs less frequently.

Pathological shortness of breath can develop acutely or be a constant concern, even at rest, significantly worsening at the slightest physical effort. A person suffocates when the airways are quickly closed by a foreign body, swelling of the tissues of the larynx, lungs and others severe conditions. When breathing in this case, the body does not receive what it needs even minimum quantity oxygen, and other severe disorders are added to shortness of breath.

The main pathological reasons why it is difficult to breathe are:

• Diseases of the respiratory system - pulmonary shortness of breath;
• Pathology of the heart and blood vessels - cardiac shortness of breath;
• Violations nervous regulation act of breathing - shortness of breath of the central type;
• Violation of the blood gas composition - hematogenous shortness of breath.

Heart reasons

Heart disease is one of the most common reasons why it becomes difficult to breathe. The patient complains that he does not have enough air and notes the appearance of swelling in the legs, fatigue etc. Typically, patients whose breathing is impaired due to changes in the heart are already examined and even take appropriate medications, but shortness of breath can not only persist, but in some cases it gets worse.

With heart pathology, there is not enough air when inhaling, that is, inspiratory shortness of breath. It accompanies, can persist even at rest in its severe stages, and is aggravated at night when the patient is lying down.

The most common reasons:

1. Arrhythmias;
2. and myocardial dystrophy;
3. Defects - congenital ones lead to shortness of breath in childhood and even the neonatal period;
4. Inflammatory processes in the myocardium, pericarditis;
5. Heart failure.

The occurrence of breathing difficulties in cardiac pathology is most often associated with the progression of heart failure, in which there is either no adequate cardiac output and tissues suffer from hypoxia, or congestion occurs in the lungs due to failure of the left ventricular myocardium ().

In addition to shortness of breath, often combined with dry, painful pain, in people with cardiac pathology, other characteristic complaints arise that make diagnosis somewhat easier - pain in the heart area, “evening” swelling, cyanosis skin, interruptions in the heart. It becomes more difficult to breathe in a lying position, so most patients even sleep half-sitting, thus reducing the inflow venous blood from the legs to the heart and manifestations of shortness of breath.

symptoms of heart failure

During an attack of cardiac asthma, which can quickly turn into alveolar pulmonary edema, the patient literally suffocates - the respiratory rate exceeds 20 per minute, the face turns blue, the neck veins swell, and the sputum becomes foamy. Pulmonary edema requires emergency care.

Treatment of cardiac dyspnea depends on the underlying cause that caused it. An adult patient with heart failure is prescribed diuretics (furosemide, veroshpiron, diacarb), ACE inhibitors(lisinopril, enalapril, etc.), beta blockers and antiarrhythmics, cardiac glycosides, oxygen therapy.

Diuretics (diacarb) are indicated for children, and drugs of other groups are strictly dosed due to possible side effects and contraindications in childhood. Congenital defects, in which the child begins to choke from the very first months of life, may require urgent surgical correction and even heart transplants.

Pulmonary causes

Pathology of the lungs is the second reason leading to difficulty breathing, and both difficulty in inhaling and exhaling is possible. Pulmonary pathology with respiratory failure is:

• Chronic obstructive diseases - asthma, bronchitis, pneumosclerosis, pneumoconiosis, pulmonary emphysema;
• Pneumo- and hydrothorax;
• Tumors;
• Foreign bodies of the respiratory tract;
• in the branches pulmonary arteries.

Chronic inflammatory and sclerotic changes in the pulmonary parenchyma greatly contribute to respiratory failure. They are aggravated by smoking, poor environmental conditions, and recurrent infections of the respiratory system. Shortness of breath is a concern at first physical activity, gradually becoming permanent as the disease progresses to a more severe and irreversible stage of its course.

With lung pathology, the gas composition of the blood is disrupted, and a lack of oxygen occurs, which, first of all, is lacking in the head and brain. Severe hypoxia provokes metabolic disorders in nerve tissue and the development of encephalopathy.

Patients with bronchial asthma are well aware of how breathing is disrupted during an attack: it becomes very difficult to exhale, discomfort and even pain in the chest appears, arrhythmia is possible, sputum is difficult to separate when coughing and is extremely scarce, the neck veins swell. Patients with such shortness of breath sit with their hands on their knees - this position reduces venous return and the load on the heart, alleviating the condition. Most often, it is difficult for such patients to breathe and lack air at night or in the early morning hours.

During a severe asthmatic attack, the patient suffocates, the skin becomes bluish, panic and some disorientation are possible, and status asthmaticus may be accompanied by convulsions and loss of consciousness.

In case of breathing problems due to chronic pulmonary pathology, the patient’s appearance changes: the chest becomes barrel-shaped, the spaces between the ribs increase, the neck veins are large and dilated, as well as the peripheral veins of the extremities. The expansion of the right half of the heart against the background of sclerotic processes in the lungs leads to its failure, and shortness of breath becomes mixed and more severe, that is, not only the lungs cannot cope with breathing, but the heart cannot provide adequate blood flow, filling the venous part with blood great circle blood circulation

There is also not enough air in case pneumonia, pneumothorax, hemothorax. With inflammation of the pulmonary parenchyma, it becomes not only difficult to breathe, the temperature also rises, there are obvious signs of intoxication on the face, and the cough is accompanied by sputum production.

An extremely serious cause of sudden respiratory failure is considered to be the entry of a foreign body into the respiratory tract. It could be a piece of food or small detail toys that the baby accidentally inhales while playing. A victim with a foreign body begins to choke, turns blue, quickly loses consciousness, and cardiac arrest is possible if help does not arrive in time.

Thromboembolism of the pulmonary vessels can also lead to sudden and rapidly increasing shortness of breath and cough. It occurs more often in people suffering from pathology of the blood vessels of the legs, heart, and destructive processes in the pancreas. With thromboembolism, the condition can be extremely severe with increasing asphyxia, bluish skin, rapid cessation of breathing and heartbeat.

In some cases, the cause of severe shortness of breath is allergy and Quincke's edema, which are also accompanied by stenosis of the lumen of the larynx. The reason may be food allergen, wasp sting, inhalation of pollen, medicinal product. In these cases, both the child and the adult require emergency medical care to relieve the allergic reaction, and in case of asphyxia, tracheostomy and artificial ventilation may be required.

Treatment of pulmonary dyspnea should be differentiated. If the cause is a foreign body, then it must be removed as quickly as possible; in case of allergic edema, a child or an adult should be given antihistamines, glucocorticoid hormones, adrenaline. In case of asphyxia, a tracheo- or conicotomy is performed.

For bronchial asthma, treatment is multi-stage, including beta-adrenergic agonists (salbutamol) in sprays, anticholinergics (ipratropium bromide), methylxanthines (aminophylline), glucocorticosteroids (triamcinolone, prednisolone).

Acute and chronic inflammatory processes require antibacterial and detoxification therapy, and compression of the lungs with pneumo- or hydrothorax, obstruction of the airways by a tumor is an indication for surgery (puncture pleural cavity, thoracotomy, removal of part of the lung, etc.).

Cerebral causes

In some cases, breathing difficulties are associated with damage to the brain, because the most important nerve centers that regulate the activity of the lungs, blood vessels, and heart are located there. Shortness of breath of this type is characteristic of structural damage to brain tissue - trauma, neoplasm, stroke, edema, encephalitis, etc.

Violations respiratory function with brain pathology are very diverse: both a decrease in breathing and an increase in breathing rate are possible, the appearance of different types pathological breathing. Many patients with severe brain pathology are on artificial ventilation lungs, because they simply cannot breathe on their own.

The toxic effect of microbial waste products and fever leads to an increase in hypoxia and acidification of the internal environment of the body, which causes shortness of breath - the patient breathes frequently and noisily. In this way, the body strives to quickly get rid of excess carbon dioxide and provide tissues with oxygen.

Relatively harmless reason cerebral dyspnea can be considered functional disorders in the activity of the brain and peripheral nervous system - neurosis, hysteria. In these cases, shortness of breath is of a “nervous” nature, and in some cases this is noticeable to the naked eye, even to a non-specialist.

With intercostal neuralgia, the patient feels severe pain in half of the chest, intensifying with movement and inhalation, especially impressionable patients may panic, breathe quickly and shallowly. With osteochondrosis, it is difficult to breathe, and constant pain in the spine can provoke chronic shortness of breath, which can be difficult to distinguish from difficulty breathing due to pulmonary or cardiac pathology.

Treatment for difficulty breathing due to musculoskeletal conditions includes physical therapy, physiotherapy, massage, drug support in the form of anti-inflammatory drugs, analgesics.

Many expectant mothers complain that as their pregnancy progresses, it becomes more difficult for them to breathe. This sign may be quite normal, because the growing uterus and fetus raise the diaphragm and reduce the expansion of the lungs, hormonal changes and the formation of the placenta contribute to an increase in the number of respiratory movements to provide the tissues of both organisms with oxygen.

However, during pregnancy, breathing should be carefully assessed so as not to miss a serious pathology behind its seemingly natural increase, which could be anemia, thromboembolic syndrome, progression of heart failure due to a defect in the woman, etc.

One of the most dangerous reasons According to which a woman may begin to choke during pregnancy, pulmonary embolism is considered. This condition is life-threatening and is accompanied by a sharp increase in breathing, which becomes noisy and ineffective. Asphyxia and death without emergency assistance are possible.

Thus, having considered only the most common reasons difficulty breathing, it becomes clear that this symptom can indicate dysfunction of almost all organs or systems of the body, and in some cases it can be difficult to identify the main pathogenic factor. Patients who have difficulty breathing require a thorough examination, and if the patient is suffocating, emergency qualified assistance is needed.

Any case of shortness of breath requires a trip to the doctor to find out its cause; self-medication in this case is unacceptable and can lead to very serious consequences. This is especially true for breathing problems in children, pregnant women and sudden attacks shortness of breath in people of any age.

Video: what prevents you from breathing? The program “Live Healthy!”

Hypoxia, or in simple terms - oxygen starvation, is something that requires diagnosis and treatment. Hypoxia blocks the flow of oxygen to nerve connections. In the case where there are no symptoms of dysfunction, the brain can withstand 4 seconds. acute hypoxia, just a few seconds after the cessation of blood supply, the person loses consciousness, after 30 seconds, the person falls into a coma.

The most serious outcome of this violation is the death of a person. Therefore, it is important to know the main causes of oxygen starvation of the brain and the manifestations that will help to identify the first signs of the disorder and avoid serious consequences and long-term treatment.

There are 3 types of hypoxia:

• Fulminant hypoxia – development occurs quickly, within a few seconds and minutes;

• Acute hypoxia - lasts for several hours, the cause may be a heart attack, poisoning;

• Chronic failure - develops over a long time, the causes are heart failure, heart disease.

Oxygen deficiency in the brain can be caused by several reasons:

1. Respiratory – the brain is not able to receive the proper amount of oxygen due to impaired respiratory processes. Examples include: pneumonia, bronchial asthma, chest trauma.

1. Cardiovascular – circulatory disorders. Causes may include: shock, thrombosis. Normalizing the functioning of the heart and blood vessels helps prevent the development of stroke.

1. Hypoxic – occurs when there is a decrease in oxygen in the air. The most striking example is climbers who, when climbing a mountain, most clearly feel the lack of oxygen.

1. Blood – with this factor, oxygen transport is disrupted. The main reason is anemia.

1. Tissue – development occurs due to disruption of oxygen transport. The cause may be poisons that could destroy or block enzyme systems.

Main manifestations

Symptoms of oxygen deficiency may manifest differently in each person. In one patient, sensitivity may decrease, lethargy may appear, and in another, headaches may begin.

Manifestations of pathology:

• Dizziness, the possibility of loss of consciousness due to inhibition of the activity of the nervous system. The patient experiences severe attacks of nausea and vomiting;
• Visual impairment, darkness in the eyes.
• Change in skin color. The skin turns pale or red. The brain reacts and tries, resulting in cold sweat.
• Adrenaline increases, after which muscle weakness and lethargy occurs in the patient. A person ceases to control his movements and actions.
• Irritability, resentment appear, depression and other mental disorders develop.
• Inattention, the patient has difficulty absorbing information, mental performance decreases.

The final stage of the disease with oxygen starvation is the development of coma, and then soon the heart.

If the patient receives timely medical care, all body functions can be restored.

Diagnosis and treatment

To determine the patient's current condition and whether he is truly sick, a number of medical tests are required.

These include:

• Magnetic resonance. This method shows the consequences of oxygen deficiency. With this method, you can see areas where sufficiently saturated oxygen enters.

• Ultrasound is a method that allows you to determine deviations from the norm during the development of a child in the womb. Allows you to determine oxygen starvation at .

• Complete blood count and clinical tests for acid-base balance.

• General and selective angiography.

Treatment of oxygen deficiency primarily involves restoring the required supply of oxygen to the brain.

If there is a lack of oxygen, the following measures are prescribed:

• Maintaining normal functioning of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems;
• Drugs to improve blood circulation in the brain;
• Antihypoxanes;
• Bronchodilators.

Whether the prognosis is favorable depends on the degree of brain damage and at what stage the disease was discovered.

A person's chances of recovery also depend on his current condition. With a prolonged coma, the basic functions of the body are impaired and the chance of recovery becomes very low.

With a short-term coma, the chances of rehabilitation are very high. However, treatment may take quite some time.

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