Hypoxia is the clinical term for hypoxia in the body. Recently, the term silent hypoxia or happy hypoxia has been adopted. Why is it so important to know what it is and how to avoid it?
Silent hypoxia is a phenomenon where the patient does not feel hypoxic or feels very weak. Quite often this applies to the elderly and those who already have partially fibrotic lung tissue. When it comes to these people, the saturation, i.e. the blood oxygen saturation, is not high and sometimes there are drops which such person simply does not feel. Such a patient does not feel breathless and does not feel this abnormal blood oxygenation. Recently, this phenomenon has been observed in patients with COVID-19. What could be the consequences of not diagnosing hypoxia early? The consequences can be dire - hypoxia to the whole organism and, consequently, even death.
How much should the saturation be?
The normal level of oxygen saturation in the blood should be 95-98 percent. Less than 90 percent is a respiratory distress state and the brain is not getting enough oxygen to function normally. Below 80 percent, the risk of damage to vital organs in the body increases, and therefore the risk of death increases. When the saturation drops to 75 percent, the patient usually loses consciousness.
Why is silent hypoxia so dangerous?
This phenomenon is surprising from the medical point of view, because despite the very high hypoxia of the body, patients do not realize it at all and during the medical interview they say that they feel well, do not have shortness of breath or breathing problems (they do not develop typical COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome, the so-called ARDS). However, when the patients are examined, it turns out that they have severe hypoxia and their condition is much worse than they think. This well-being lulls the patient's vigilance and hence the name silent or happy hypoxia.
What could be causing the silent hypoxia?
The causes of this disease are not yet clearly defined, but it may depend on the age of the patients or their comorbidities.
How to prevent silent hypoxia?
Pulse oximeters, i.e. electronic devices used for non-invasive measurement of blood saturation, can be helpful in this. Each person should have such a device in their home first aid kit and systematically check their health condition at home. It depends on us whether we diagnose silent hypoxia quickly enough, because only then we have a chance to achieve full efficiency thanks to oxygen therapy. Otherwise, it may turn out that despite new technologies and specialized equipment, there will be no help for us.
We invite you to familiarize yourself with our offer of pulse oximeters and oxygen therapy equipment, which, contrary to many opinions, is not intended only for people who are already ill, and which will help us effectively monitor and support our health.