The brain one of the organs that require the most oxygen, starts to get damaged within seconds when it is left without oxygen. While little advancement of oxygen to the brain is called hypoxia, no advancement of oxygen to the brain is called anoxia. Conditions like drowning in water, gas poisoning, cardiac arrest, and paralysis can be given as an example of a lack of oxygen in the brain.
1. Why lack of oxygen in the brain happens?
- Cardiac problems: Cardiac arrest, arrhythmia
- Respiratory System Problems: Pneumonia, COPD, severe asthma attack
- Respiratory standstill: Suffocation due to occlusion in the air passage, drowning in water
- Lack of oxygen in the brain as an anesthetic complication
- Carbon monoxide poisoning, Drug poisoning
- A dramatic decrease in blood pressure (hypotension)
- Going up to a high altitude
- Problems that can arouse during birth
- ALS, Weakening of respiratory muscles in neurological deceases like Guillain Barré.
2. Symptoms of Lack of Oxygen in the Brain
Symptoms that can arouse from lack of oxygen in the brain can be light or serious depending on the severity and the duration of the incident.
- Temporary memory lost in the first phase
- Difficulty moving the body,
- Attention deficit
- Distortions in decision-making and thinking processes
Brain cells that are devoid of oxygen for more than 5 minutes start to die and more severe symptoms start to arise.
3. How the degree of injury due to lack of oxygen in the brain is determined?
EKG, Lung Rontgen, Brain MR, and Brain tomography, the degree and location of injury can be determined by measuring the oxygen level in the blood.
4. Complications due to lack of oxygen in the brain
Disorders like; Stroke (Paralysis), aphasia, difficulty in movement functions, psychological problems, vision disorders, muscle weakness and unwanted contractions, respiratory problems, cardiovascular disorders, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and lung pneumonia can develop different disorders connected with lack of oxygen in the brain.
5. How long lack of oxygen in the brain is treated?
How long the patient remained devoid of oxygen and the severity of the injury in the brain are the factors that determine and affect the duration of the treatment
While some patients require respirators some patients require liquid support because of the blood loss due to trauma. Because some patients develop epileptic seizures these patients require medicine.
Treatment should be determined individually according to the basic needs of the patient. Prevention of different complications like musculoskeletal system disorders, cardiovascular system disorders can happen in patients that stayed bedded for a long time, patients that received inpatient treatment. Patients should receive physiotherapy support as early as possible. Physiotherapy and rehabilitation practices that started early creates positive outcomes.
