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Dyspnoea is one of the many symptoms of coronavirus infection. Many doctors believe this is a serious condition and you should contact your doctor or call an ambulance. Is dyspnoea often a result of the hypoxia associated with COVID-19? So how do you prevent severe hypoxia? How to recognize early symptoms?
- Hypoxia or hypoxia is one of the most dangerous symptoms of coronavirus infection
- Long-term hypoxia can lead to irreversible changes in the brain
- The early signs of hypoxia can be identified by monitoring the state of our breathing. When it changes from calm to accelerated, we should be concerned about this
- Also, an incorrect heart rate may be a sign of hypoxia
- You can find more coronavirus stories on the TvoiLokony home page
Hypoxia – how to recognize?
Hypoxia (hypoxia) is one of the most dangerous symptoms of COVID-19. But it can also be caused by many chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease or sleep apnea.
The most common symptoms of hypoxia in the body are:
- cough,
- increased heart rate
- anxiety,
- burgundy or blue lips,
- entanglement,
- dizziness and headache
- cognitive impairment
- sensory and balance disorders
- seizures
- somnolence
- dyspnoea.
Brain hypoxia resulting from chronic diseases can lead to memory impairment, concentration problems and constant fatigue. Non-oxygenation or hypoxia can also cause nausea and vomiting. Long-term hypoxia can lead to irreversible changes in the brain
How to recognize hypoxia in COVID-19?
The coronavirus most often affects the respiratory tract. Therefore, one of the most common effects of COVID-19 is hypoxia, i.e. a reduced level of saturation (the saturation of blood hemoglobin with oxygen). When oxygen saturation drops sharply, shortness of breath is a common symptom. This is already a serious condition and an ambulance should be called.
So how to prevent such a situation and recognize hypoxia earlier, without having a device for measuring saturation at hand? We should check our breathing. Correct is regular, effortless and not too deep. Most often it is 16-18 breaths per minute in an adult, not suffering from chronic diseases, especially those related to the lungs.
- Hidden hypoxia dangerous for COVID-19 patients
When our breathing starts to pick up speed, it’s a sign that something is wrong with our blood oxygen levels.
Increased heart rate (pulse) may also be a signal of an abnormal level of saturation.
A healthy adult’s heart rate should be between 50 and 100 beats per minute. The doctor checks the heart rate in the carotid, radial, brachial, femoral, popliteal, dorsal foot, and posterior tibial arteries. It’s best to measure your heart rate yourself at the neck or wrist.
We put our index or middle finger (we do not use the thumb for this) and, with the watch with us, count the number of strokes per minute. When the value exceeds 100, it is also an alarm signal.
How to measure the saturation?
A pulse oximeter is used to measure the saturation level, i.e. the level of oxygen saturation with oxygen. The pulse oximeter measures the absorption by red blood cells in capillaries of radiation at two different wavelengths – red and infrared.
The finger pulse oximeter is the most popular. It is a small device, not much larger than a matchbox, allowing you to measure the saturation level yourself at any time. The pulse oximeter is attached to the index finger. The laser sensor measures the absorbance of pulsating arterial blood and uses this to calculate the degree of hemoglobin oxygen saturation (SpO2). Most pulse oximeter models also measure the heart rate level.
- Pulse oximeter – operation and application. What types of pulse oximeters are there and how much do they cost?
The correct level of oxygen saturation should range from 95%. up to 99 percent , in the elderly it is 94-98 percent. A result close to 90 should cause us concern, then it is worth consulting it with your primary care physician. When the saturation level falls below 90% our brain may not be getting enough oxygen. In turn, the result below 80 percent. can damage internal organs.
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