Hypoxia is a condition in which the body or a region of the body is deprived of adequate oxygen supply at the tissue level, but a properly won mask cannot deprive you of any oxygen.
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has introduced a new way of life in almost every country, Masks have become mandatory in several countries.
However, some people object to wearing masks with an excuse that these masks can cut off the oxygen supply, which is not true, which explains why surgeons do not pass out all day long from hypoxia while wearing masks.
Take an example, do construction workers wearing N95 masks while sanding or painting keep collapsing, and cowboys wearing bandannas keep passing out and falling off their horses. No, because masks do not cut off any oxygen supply.
In many Asian countries, most of the population wear masks anytime they’re in public but we don’t see reports of mass Hypoxia and frequent pass-outs, why it is that Africans are raising this issue, is it ignorance.
For a person to suffocate and pass out due to wearing a mask would only mean that this person has other illnesses that normally affect their breathing like Pneumonia or Asthma.
Real Causes Of Hypoxia
Hypoxia can result from a failure at any stage in the delivery of oxygen to cells. This can include decreased partial pressures of oxygen, problems with the diffusion of oxygen in the lungs, and problems with breathing rhythm.
Ischemia – insufficient blood flow to a tissue
Altitude – Atmospheric pressure reduces with altitude and with it, the amount of oxygen
Hypoxic breathing gases – The breathing gas in underwater diving may contain an insufficient partial pressure of oxygen
Sleep apnea – Disorder involving pauses in breathing during sleep
Erotic asphyxiation – Intentional restriction of oxygen to the brain for sexual arousal or autoerotic hypoxia, intentional restriction of oxygen to the brain for sexual arousal
Travel to a high altitude
Near drowning or choking
Carbon monoxide poisoning
Exposure to cold for a long period of time
Severe anemia
Chronic lung disease, such as emphysema
Congestive heart failure
How To Treat Hypoxia
Treatment depends on the cause of your hypoxia. Mechanical ventilation and IV fluids may be used for more severe forms of hypoxia. A ventilator is a machine that gives you oxygen.
Oxygen therapy can be utilized to treat hypoxemia. This may involve using an oxygen mask or a small tube clipped to your nose to receive supplemental oxygen.
Since hypoxemia involves low blood oxygen levels, the aim of treatment is to try to raise blood oxygen levels back to normal.
Nsunjo Erica