Cerebral hypoxia: symptoms, causes and treatment

Definition of cerebral hypoxia

Cerebral hypoxia orbrain hypoxiais a condition that occurs when the brain is deprived of oxygen. This means that the amount of oxygen that reaches the brain is less than what is needed.

In fact, the brain needs a certain amount of oxygen and nutrients to function properly. Therefore, this condition is considered a serious health problem.

Generally, cerebral hypoxia attacks the largest part of the brain, namely the cerebral hemisphere (cerebral hemisphere). Even so, cerebral hypoxia is a term that describes a lack of oxygen in all parts of the brain.

This condition can be caused by a variety of things, including brain injury, stroke, carbon monoxide poisoning, and many more.

How common is this condition?

This condition can be experienced by anyone and occurs unexpectedly. Therefore, if you feel one or two symptoms of this condition, it is better to immediately consult a doctor for further treatment.

Signs & symptoms of cerebral hypoxia

Signs or signs of cerebral hypoxia depend on the duration or how long your brain has had this condition. Symptoms that arise from cerebral hypoxia can range from mild to moderately severe.

Symptoms of cerebral hypoxia that are classified as mild include:

• Change in focus.
• Can't judge something properly.
• Temporary memory loss.
• The movements are not well coordinated.

Meanwhile, the symptoms of cerebral hypoxia which are quite severe are:

• Coma.
• Seizures.
• Not breathing.
• Brain death.
• The pupil does not respond to light.

Causes of cerebral hypoxia

Cerebral hypoxia usually only interrupts the supply of oxygen to the brain. However, there are also those that interfere with the supply of oxygen as well as nutrients needed by the brain.

The following are causes of cerebral hypoxia which only interfere with the supply of oxygen to the brain, including:

• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis(ALS), a disease that causes paralysis of the respiratory muscles.
• Inhaling excessive amounts of smoke, such as when there is a fire.
• Carbon monoxide poisoning.
• Choking.
• Located in the highlands.
• There is pressure on the trachea.
• Choke.

Causes of cerebral hypoxia which inhibits the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the brain

In addition, there are also causes for cerebral hypoxia which inhibits the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the brain, such as:

• Heart failure, which is when the heart stops pumping blood.
• Arrhythmia, or heart rhythm disturbances.
• Complications from local anesthetics.
• Drowned.
• Drug overdose.
• Stroke.
• Low blood pressure.
• Injuries that have been experienced before, during, or after birth, such as cerebral palsy.

Risk factors for cerebral hypoxia

Apart from the causes, there are several conditions that can increase your risk of experiencing this serious condition, such as the following.

• Heart attack.
• Choking.
• Choke.
• Electrocuted.
• Drowned.
• Damage to the gas cylinder releasing carbon monoxide gas.
• Use of certain drugs.

Complications of cerebral hypoxia

According to Medline Plus, the most likely complication of this condition is prolonged brain death. That is, the basic functions of the patient's body are still working.

For example, breathing, blood pressure, eye function, and the wake and sleep cycle still work normally. It's just that the patient is not aware of what is happening around him, nor can he respond to the surrounding environment.

How long is the life expectancy of a person with cerebral hypoxia?

If the patient experiences the above conditions, most likely, the patient will experience death within one year, although it is possible that the patient can survive longer.

The length of time a patient is able to survive is very dependent on the care for the patient and the efforts made to prevent the condition from getting worse.

Other complications that may occur are:

• Blood clots in veins.
• Lung infection (pneumonia).
• Malnutrition.

Diagnosis & treatment of cerebral hypoxia

The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor.

Cerebral hypoxia can be diagnosed based on a person's medical history. In addition, the doctor will also perform a physical examination for further diagnosis. However, it doesn't stop there, there will be several tests that your doctor may perform. The goal is to find out the causes of hypoxia. These include:

• Angiogram for the brain.
• Blood tests, including chemical levels in the blood.
• CT scan of the head.
• Echocardiogram or cardiac echo using ultrasound to check the condition of the heart.
• An electrocardiogram or EKG is a device for measuring the electrical activity of the heart.
• Electroencephalogram, a test to look at brain waves that can identify seizures and show how brain cells work.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

If after these tests are done and blood pressure and liver function are still functioning properly, it may be that this condition has caused death in the brain.

How to treat cerebral hypoxia?

Usually, the diagnosis of cerebral hypoxia can explain in detail how the patient is, starting from the symptoms that have occurred and the condition when he was brought to the hospital. However, this should be done when the conditions are still in the early phase.

If the cause of this condition can be determined, treatment should be carried out based on the cause. That is, sooner or later treatment is also very dependent on the cause of this disease.

Usually, treatment for this condition is done so that the heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen supply to the brain return to normal conditions. Unfortunately, the treatment options for this condition are still very limited.

1. Use of drugs

One possible treatment is the use of barbiturates. This drug can slow down brain activity, so it can help deal with problems that occur in the brain for two to three days after an injury.

2. Use of medical aids

If this condition is quite severe, the patient will be treated in an intensive care unit orintensive care unit (ICU) and will be put on a ventilator.

Usually, after experiencing this condition, the patient will experience seizures that can occur continuously, making it difficult to control. Therefore, treatment in the ICU with the help of various medical devices is needed to help patients survive and recover successfully.

3. Hypothermic therapy

This therapy can also be an alternative option that can be used to treat cerebral hypoxia. This therapy is thought to have a protective effect on the brain.

In addition, hypothermia therapy is also thought to aid recovery by reducing the oxygen and energy requirements of cells in the brain.

The protective effect that this therapy can provide may be one of the reasons why people with this condition survive.

Even so, even though this therapy has been around for a long time, further research is still needed to test the efficacy of this one treatment. In addition, this therapy is also suspected of having side effects, such as infection.

Recovery for cerebral hypoxia

If the patient's condition is stable, what should be considered next is the patient's recovery process. How long will it take for the patient to recover and return to normal?

The length of recovery time is very different for each individual. A person can undergo recovery for several months, but it can also be for years.

But unfortunately, in some cases, the patient may not be able to really return to normal. It's just that, the faster the recovery process is done, the better.

Rehabilitation during the recovery period

Usually, patients will undergo rehabilitation while recovering. At that time, the patient will be assisted by various therapists in undergoing rehabilitation therapy.

One example is a physical therapist who can help patients to improve motor skills such as walking, which may be weakened or decreased after experiencing cerebral hypoxia.

In addition, there are also occupational therapists who can help patients carry out daily activities such as wearing clothes, going to the bathroom, and various other activities.

Then, there are speech therapists who can help patients to improve their speaking ability or understand the language and speech of other people that may become difficult to understand.

In fact, this therapy is the same as the therapy needed for the recovery of various other brain health problems. The goal is to help patients cope with various conditions they face after completing treatment so that they can return to their activities.