CCSVI and Low Blood Oxygen
Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2010 3:55 pm
Hi all,
I have been gathering information on a particular subject that I find very interesting. For me, this is a scientific explanation for many of our strange and unexplainable symptoms!
This information is based on the idea that a person with MS has CCSVI. CCSVI hinders blood circulation! If blood gets trapped in the brain for even a few seconds, this can be a big problem. The blood is now de-oxygenated and needs to travel back to the lungs and heart to get re-oxygenated. Since the veins in our skull can only hold so much blood, we have a problem. De-oxygenated blood is taking up space in our veins and hindering vital fresh oxygen from circulating properly! Even a 10% reduction of oxygen can have a huge impact, especially if it is for a long period of time. I can't express to you how much sense this makes to me, and it answers my questions as to why I have constant headaches in the back of my head (where the jugular veins meet) and burning on the top of my head, along with cog fog and a host of other MS symptoms. I have included the references so you can verify the information if you would like.
***********
From an aviators point of view
EFFECTS OF LACK OF OXYGEN (due to high altitude)
Effects of Hypoxia People differ in their reactions to hunger, thirst, and other sensations. The same thing is true of individual reactions to oxygen starvation. The effects of hypoxia on a given person cannot be accurately predicted. For example, a person may be relatively unaffected one day, but highly susceptible the next. It is difficult to detect hypoxia, because its victims are seldom able to judge how seriously they are affected, or if they are affected at all. The unpleasant sensations experienced in suffoca-tion are absent in the case of hypoxia. Blurring of vision, slight shortness of breath, a vague, weak feeling, and a little dizziness are the only warnings.
BELOW 10,000 FEET.- At or below 10,000 feet, some effects of hypoxia may be present. Generally, the eye is the first part of the body to suffer effects of hypoxia. Even at a relatively low altitude of approximately 5,000 feet, where no other effect of hypoxia can be detected, night vision is appreciable reduced. At 10,000 feet, night operations may be seriously handicapped by poor night vision, which is due to mild oxygen starvation.
BETWEEN 10,000 AND 15,000 FEET.- The greatest dangers are from errors in judgment or performance due to drowsiness or mental confusion. At these altitudes, long flights without oxygen produce persistent drowsiness and excessive fatigue for many hours afterward. Frequently, persistent headaches develop soon after completion of the flight.
BETWEEN 15,000 AND 20,000 FEET.- Flights at 15,000 to 20,000 feet, even for short periods, must not be attempted without the use of oxygen. Collapse and unconsciousness are common.
BETWEEN 20,000 AND 25,000 FEET.- The general symptoms of drowsiness, mental confusion, dim vision, and dizziness occur here, as at lower altitudes, but they come on much more quickly, allowing less opportunity for corrective action.
BETWEEN 25,000 AND 30,000 FEET.- Between 25,000 and 30,000 feet, collapse, unconsciousness, and death quickly follow interruption of the oxygen supply. Mask leakage at these altitudes may cause a degree of hypoxia that, although not noticed during flight, can produce considerable fatigue and have serious cumulative effects.
http://www.tpub.com/ase2/85.htm
**********************
What Causes Acute Mountain Sickness?
At a high altitude the air is said to be ‘thinner'. This means that the concentration of oxygen is less, and air pressure is reduced. This combination leads to acute mountain sickness. In the same way that one may feel light headed holding their breath, when oxygen is scarce, the brain is deprived of oxygen - and dizziness results.
Height above 14,000 feet increases the risk of mild symptoms, but people who stay at this level for a prolonged time may develop more severe symptoms. The condition can be made worse as a person suffering from symptoms may become anxious or stressed, breathe quicker and hyperventilate - further exacerbating the situation.
Diagnosing Acute Mountain Sickness
Symptoms of acute mountain sickness can affect the nervous system, lungs, muscles, and heart.
Symptoms of mild to moderate acute mountain sickness
• Difficulty sleeping
• Feeling dizzy or light-headed
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Loss of appetite (with or without nausea and/or vomiting)
• Rapid heart race
• Shortness of breath (when exerted)
• Symptoms of more severe Acute Mountain Sickness include:
• Discoloration of the skin (Blue tinge on face, fingernail beds, around the mouth)
• Chest tightness or congestion-(MS hug-Lavonna just had to add this)
• Confusion
• Cough (with our without blood)
• Withdrawal from social interaction
• Gray or pale complexion
• Inability to walk in a straight line (or cannot walk at all)
• Shortness of breath (at rest)
http://www.nativeremedies.com/ailment/l ... kness.html
******************
Hypoxemia (low blood oxygen)
Your cells need a constant supply of oxygen to function normally. When this supply is reduced or interrupted, you can develop hypoxemia, a low level of oxygen in your blood. Hypoxemia can disrupt your body's functioning and harm vital tissues.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hypoxemia/MY00219
Symptoms of Low Blood Oxygen
By Dana George, eHow Contributing Writer
Low blood oxygen, also known as hypoxemia, is a condition where the oxygen level in your arterial blood drops below a normal level, which would be anywhere between 95 and 100 percent saturation, according to the Mayo Clinic. As blood oxygen dips down to 85 and 90 percent, your cells cease to perform as usual, upsetting the function of your organs and tissues. When this happens, you'll inevitably begin to manifest certain signs and symptoms of this lack of oxygen in your blood.
Respiratory Disturbance
1. If you had low blood oxygen, you would begin to experience shortness of breath. This particular symptom may start out gradual at first, coming on as an almost unnoticeable change to your respiration, impacting you more during times of physical exertion. But as your blood oxygen saturation falls, this windedness would become more and more pronounced, affecting you even at times of rest.
Fatigue
2. Since low blood oxygen is essentially depriving your organs of oxygen, you may begin to experience fatigue. And much like the symptom of respiratory disturbance, this indicator will typically come on slowly. You may start out feeling a little more tired than normal. This could then progress into fatigue until you finally feel exhausted or worn out. Sometimes, if your blood oxygen saturation drops rather quickly, this fatigue would hit you suddenly and unexpectedly.
Cognitive Disturbance
3. As your blood oxygen saturation falls, the oxygen that actually gets to your brain will unavoidably get less and less. When this happens, certain cognitive functions will be adversely affected and you may begin to experience intermittent episodes of confusion or uncertainty or even disorientation. It all depends on how your brain reacts to this deprivation.
Headache
4. For some people, low blood oxygen will also prompt periodic headaches. Normally, these headaches will come with other symptoms like a shortness of breath, fatigue or confusion. Very rarely will this symptom develop all on its own. It should also be noted that a headache due to low blood oxygen will react to anti-inflammatory medications, such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen, just like any other headache, but these drugs are not remedying your blood oxygen saturation, only this symptom of low blood oxygen.
Medical Care
5. If you were to experience these symptoms, you should contact a doctor immediately as the low blood oxygen itself could be a symptom of serious condition...
http://www.ehow.com/about_5057273_sympt ... xygen.html
I'll just have to say, that these symptoms hit home with me to the point that I am completely amazed with this information. I do believe our symptoms are a sign of a serious condition, and our doctors should take them more seriously!
Now, we finally have a true, scientific explanation for many of our strange and unexplainable symptoms!
Thanks for your time!
Vonna
I have been gathering information on a particular subject that I find very interesting. For me, this is a scientific explanation for many of our strange and unexplainable symptoms!
This information is based on the idea that a person with MS has CCSVI. CCSVI hinders blood circulation! If blood gets trapped in the brain for even a few seconds, this can be a big problem. The blood is now de-oxygenated and needs to travel back to the lungs and heart to get re-oxygenated. Since the veins in our skull can only hold so much blood, we have a problem. De-oxygenated blood is taking up space in our veins and hindering vital fresh oxygen from circulating properly! Even a 10% reduction of oxygen can have a huge impact, especially if it is for a long period of time. I can't express to you how much sense this makes to me, and it answers my questions as to why I have constant headaches in the back of my head (where the jugular veins meet) and burning on the top of my head, along with cog fog and a host of other MS symptoms. I have included the references so you can verify the information if you would like.
***********
From an aviators point of view
EFFECTS OF LACK OF OXYGEN (due to high altitude)
Effects of Hypoxia People differ in their reactions to hunger, thirst, and other sensations. The same thing is true of individual reactions to oxygen starvation. The effects of hypoxia on a given person cannot be accurately predicted. For example, a person may be relatively unaffected one day, but highly susceptible the next. It is difficult to detect hypoxia, because its victims are seldom able to judge how seriously they are affected, or if they are affected at all. The unpleasant sensations experienced in suffoca-tion are absent in the case of hypoxia. Blurring of vision, slight shortness of breath, a vague, weak feeling, and a little dizziness are the only warnings.
BELOW 10,000 FEET.- At or below 10,000 feet, some effects of hypoxia may be present. Generally, the eye is the first part of the body to suffer effects of hypoxia. Even at a relatively low altitude of approximately 5,000 feet, where no other effect of hypoxia can be detected, night vision is appreciable reduced. At 10,000 feet, night operations may be seriously handicapped by poor night vision, which is due to mild oxygen starvation.
BETWEEN 10,000 AND 15,000 FEET.- The greatest dangers are from errors in judgment or performance due to drowsiness or mental confusion. At these altitudes, long flights without oxygen produce persistent drowsiness and excessive fatigue for many hours afterward. Frequently, persistent headaches develop soon after completion of the flight.
BETWEEN 15,000 AND 20,000 FEET.- Flights at 15,000 to 20,000 feet, even for short periods, must not be attempted without the use of oxygen. Collapse and unconsciousness are common.
BETWEEN 20,000 AND 25,000 FEET.- The general symptoms of drowsiness, mental confusion, dim vision, and dizziness occur here, as at lower altitudes, but they come on much more quickly, allowing less opportunity for corrective action.
BETWEEN 25,000 AND 30,000 FEET.- Between 25,000 and 30,000 feet, collapse, unconsciousness, and death quickly follow interruption of the oxygen supply. Mask leakage at these altitudes may cause a degree of hypoxia that, although not noticed during flight, can produce considerable fatigue and have serious cumulative effects.
http://www.tpub.com/ase2/85.htm
**********************
What Causes Acute Mountain Sickness?
At a high altitude the air is said to be ‘thinner'. This means that the concentration of oxygen is less, and air pressure is reduced. This combination leads to acute mountain sickness. In the same way that one may feel light headed holding their breath, when oxygen is scarce, the brain is deprived of oxygen - and dizziness results.
Height above 14,000 feet increases the risk of mild symptoms, but people who stay at this level for a prolonged time may develop more severe symptoms. The condition can be made worse as a person suffering from symptoms may become anxious or stressed, breathe quicker and hyperventilate - further exacerbating the situation.
Diagnosing Acute Mountain Sickness
Symptoms of acute mountain sickness can affect the nervous system, lungs, muscles, and heart.
Symptoms of mild to moderate acute mountain sickness
• Difficulty sleeping
• Feeling dizzy or light-headed
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Loss of appetite (with or without nausea and/or vomiting)
• Rapid heart race
• Shortness of breath (when exerted)
• Symptoms of more severe Acute Mountain Sickness include:
• Discoloration of the skin (Blue tinge on face, fingernail beds, around the mouth)
• Chest tightness or congestion-(MS hug-Lavonna just had to add this)
• Confusion
• Cough (with our without blood)
• Withdrawal from social interaction
• Gray or pale complexion
• Inability to walk in a straight line (or cannot walk at all)
• Shortness of breath (at rest)
http://www.nativeremedies.com/ailment/l ... kness.html
******************
Hypoxemia (low blood oxygen)
Your cells need a constant supply of oxygen to function normally. When this supply is reduced or interrupted, you can develop hypoxemia, a low level of oxygen in your blood. Hypoxemia can disrupt your body's functioning and harm vital tissues.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hypoxemia/MY00219
Symptoms of Low Blood Oxygen
By Dana George, eHow Contributing Writer
Low blood oxygen, also known as hypoxemia, is a condition where the oxygen level in your arterial blood drops below a normal level, which would be anywhere between 95 and 100 percent saturation, according to the Mayo Clinic. As blood oxygen dips down to 85 and 90 percent, your cells cease to perform as usual, upsetting the function of your organs and tissues. When this happens, you'll inevitably begin to manifest certain signs and symptoms of this lack of oxygen in your blood.
Respiratory Disturbance
1. If you had low blood oxygen, you would begin to experience shortness of breath. This particular symptom may start out gradual at first, coming on as an almost unnoticeable change to your respiration, impacting you more during times of physical exertion. But as your blood oxygen saturation falls, this windedness would become more and more pronounced, affecting you even at times of rest.
Fatigue
2. Since low blood oxygen is essentially depriving your organs of oxygen, you may begin to experience fatigue. And much like the symptom of respiratory disturbance, this indicator will typically come on slowly. You may start out feeling a little more tired than normal. This could then progress into fatigue until you finally feel exhausted or worn out. Sometimes, if your blood oxygen saturation drops rather quickly, this fatigue would hit you suddenly and unexpectedly.
Cognitive Disturbance
3. As your blood oxygen saturation falls, the oxygen that actually gets to your brain will unavoidably get less and less. When this happens, certain cognitive functions will be adversely affected and you may begin to experience intermittent episodes of confusion or uncertainty or even disorientation. It all depends on how your brain reacts to this deprivation.
Headache
4. For some people, low blood oxygen will also prompt periodic headaches. Normally, these headaches will come with other symptoms like a shortness of breath, fatigue or confusion. Very rarely will this symptom develop all on its own. It should also be noted that a headache due to low blood oxygen will react to anti-inflammatory medications, such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen, just like any other headache, but these drugs are not remedying your blood oxygen saturation, only this symptom of low blood oxygen.
Medical Care
5. If you were to experience these symptoms, you should contact a doctor immediately as the low blood oxygen itself could be a symptom of serious condition...
http://www.ehow.com/about_5057273_sympt ... xygen.html
I'll just have to say, that these symptoms hit home with me to the point that I am completely amazed with this information. I do believe our symptoms are a sign of a serious condition, and our doctors should take them more seriously!
Now, we finally have a true, scientific explanation for many of our strange and unexplainable symptoms!
Thanks for your time!
Vonna