Oxygen toxicity is a condition resulting from the harmful effects of breathing molecular oxygen at increased partial pressures. Severe cases can result in cell damage and death, with effects most often seen in the central nervous system, lungs, and eyes. It is a concern for underwater divers, those on high concentrations of supplemental oxygen, and those undergoing hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Symptoms include disorientation, breathing problems, and vision changes such as myopia.
About Oxygen toxicity in brief
Oxygen toxicity is a condition resulting from the harmful effects of breathing molecular oxygen at increased partial pressures. Severe cases can result in cell damage and death, with effects most often seen in the central nervous system, lungs, and eyes. It is a concern for underwater divers, those on high concentrations of supplemental oxygen, and those undergoing hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Symptoms include disorientation, breathing problems, and vision changes such as myopia. It can also cause oxidative damage to cell membranes, collapse of the alveoli in the lungs, retinal detachment, and seizures. The effects of oxygen toxicity may be classified by the organs affected, producing three principal forms: Central nervous system oxygen toxicity can cause seizures, brief periods of rigidity followed by convulsions and unconsciousness. Pulmonary and ocular toxicity result from longer exposure to increased oxygen levels at normal pressure. Hyperoxia can also indirectly cause carbon dioxide narcosis in patients with lung ailments such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or with central respiratory depression. The US Food and Drug Administration has warned those suffering from heart or lung disease not to use oxygen bars. Hyperventilation of atmospheric air at atmospheric pressures does not cause oxygen toxicity, because sea-level air has a partial pressure of oxygen of 0. 21 bar whereas toxicity does not occur below 0. 3 bar. The symptoms appear in the upper chest region and progresses to frequent coughing and frequent burning on inhalation. If increased oxygen continues, patients experience mild burning on breathing inhalation on the lungs and frequent coughing on the airways.
The symptoms result from an inflammation that starts in the airway leading to the lungs then leading to respiratory failure. It may also be implicated in damage to red blood cells, the liver, heart, endocrine glands, or kidneys, and general damage to cells. In unusual circumstances, effects on other tissues may be observed: it is suspected that during spaceflight, high oxygen concentrations may contribute to bone damage. In addition, many factors, such as underwater immersion, cold, and caffeine, increase tolerance to carbon dioxide in animals, but these effects have not been proven in humans. However, tests have shown a wide variation, both amongst individual individuals and in the same individuals from day to day. Oxygen toxicity can be managed by reducing the exposure to increase oxygen levels. The onset of a seizure depends upon the partialpressure of oxygen in the breathing gas and exposure duration. Scuba divers use breathing gases containing up to 100% oxygen. They should have specific training in using such gases, and should have trained in usingSuch gases. The symptoms include visual changes, ringing in the ears, nausea, twitching, behavioural changes, and dizziness. This may be followed by a tonic–clonic seizure consisting of two phases: intense muscle contraction occurs for several seconds ; followed by rapid spasms of alternate muscle relaxation and contraction producing convulsive jerking. The seizure ends with a period of unconsciousness.
You want to know more about Oxygen toxicity?
This page is based on the article Oxygen toxicity published in Wikipedia (as of Nov. 16, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
