Changes occurred when hypoxia

1. RESPIRATORY AND
CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
Changes at high altitude

2. CHANGES WHEN CLIMBING
A MOUNTAIN
 Hypoxia directly affects the vascular tone of the pulmonary and
systemic resistance vessels and increases ventilation and symphatetic
activity
 Increases in heart rate, myocardial contractility and cardiac output
 Increases in blood pressure

3. CHANGES WHEN REACHED
THE HIGHEST PEAK
 The system will adapt after prolonged stay
 Increases oxygen content of the blood because of an increase in
hematocrit associated with plasma level reduction, and an increase in
red blood cell mass due to erythropoiesis
 With exposure over days to weeks, sensitivity to hypoxia
increases, leading to further enhancement of ventilation ( ventilatory
acclimatization)

4. SYMPTOMS OF HYPOXIA
AND TREATMENT
 The symptoms may include fatigue, light-headedness , disorientation
, headaches
 In severe case, It may include tachycardia and pulmonary hypertension then
cyanosis and hypotension followed by death
 To counter the effects, the body should adapt: acclimitazation by which the body
restores the pO2 to standard level
 Oxygen enrichment also can counteract the effects of hypoxia by increasing the
concentration of oxygen in the air thus restored arterial pO2 level towards normal