Hypoxemia: What are the causes?

What causes hypoxemia?

- No name / No state given

Answer

Hypoxemia, or low blood oxygen, isn't a disease but a sign of an underlying problem. It can have many causes, including:

• High altitudes
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Pulmonary fibrosis
• Blood clot in the lungs (pulmonary embolism)
• Severe pneumonia
• Fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema)
• Congenital heart disease  

The main symptom of hypoxemia is shortness of breath. Blood oxygen content can be measured by a blood test or by a pulse oximeter, a small device that's clipped on your finger like a clothespin.

Severe hypoxemia can be life-threatening. Treatment of hypoxemia depends on the underlying cause.

MORE ON THIS TOPIC

• Emphysema
• Pneumonia
• Pulmonary embolism
• Pulmonary edema