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With paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea specifically, it is felt while sleeping and causes a person to wake up after about 1 to 2 hours of sleep. [ 3 ] More serious forms of dyspnea can be identified through accompanying findings, such as low blood pressure, decreased respiratory rate, altered mental status, hypoxia, cyanosis, stridor, or unstable ...
Respiratory arrest will ensue once the patient depletes their oxygen reserves and loses the effort to breathe. Respiratory arrest should be distinguished from respiratory failure. The former refers to the complete cessation of breathing, while respiratory failure is the
By definition it causes an increased concentration of carbon dioxide (hypercapnia) and respiratory acidosis. Hypoventilation is not synonymous with respiratory arrest, in which breathing ceases entirely and death occurs within minutes due to hypoxia and leads rapidly into complete anoxia, although both are medical emergencies. Hypoventilation ...
[3] [4] Asphyxia causes generalized hypoxia, which affects all the tissues and organs, some more rapidly than others. There are many circumstances that can induce asphyxia, all of which are characterized by the inability of a person to acquire sufficient oxygen through breathing for an extended period of time. Asphyxia can cause coma or death.
Possible causes include cerebral ischemia, hypoxia (inadequate oxygen supply to tissue), or anoxia (total oxygen depletion). Agonal breathing is a severe medical sign requiring immediate medical attention, as the condition generally progresses to complete apnea and preludes death. The duration of agonal respiration can range from two breaths to ...
The conditions of hypoxia and hypercapnia, whether caused by apnea or not, trigger additional effects on the body.The immediate effects of central sleep apnea on the body depend on how long the failure to breathe endures, how short is the interval between failures to breathe, and the presence or absence of independent conditions whose effects amplify those of an apneic episode.
Hypercapnia normally triggers a reflex which increases breathing and access to oxygen (O 2), such as arousal and turning the head during sleep. A failure of this reflex can be fatal, for example as a contributory factor in sudden infant death syndrome. [21]
Most individuals with obstructive sleep apnea are unaware of disturbances in breathing while sleeping, even after awakening. A bed partner or family member may observe a person snoring or appear to stop breathing, gasp, or choke while sleeping. People who live or sleep alone are often unaware of the condition.