Signs of hypercapnia disease and therapeutic actions. Carbon dioxide poisoning - video. Causes and risk factors

Hypercapnia (syn. hypercarbia) - an increase in the content of carbon dioxide in the blood, which is caused by a violation of respiratory processes. The partial voltage exceeds 45 millimeters of mercury. The disease can develop in both adults and children.

The causes of the pathological condition are often pathological character and consist in a disorder of ventilation against the background of the course of diseases of the organs respiratory system. Sources include polluted air, addiction to bad habits and others adverse factors.

Clinical picture quite specific, expressed in a feeling of lack of air, rapid breathing, increased sweating, behavioral disorders and changes in the skin.

The process of establishing the correct diagnosis is based on the results laboratory indicators. In the process of diagnosing, instrumental procedures and manipulations carried out by the attending physician are necessary.

The tactics of therapy completely depends on the root cause, more often it has a conservative character. In some cases, refer to a procedure such as artificial ventilation lungs.

Etiology

In hypercapnia, the causes of origin are very diverse, divided into external and internal. The first category is the increased content of carbon dioxide in the air - if a person is in such an environment for a long time, he develops pathological condition. This group includes:

• some professional features- Bakers, divers and steelworkers are at risk;
• air pollution;
• prolonged stay of a person in an unventilated room;
• long-term addiction to cigarettes;
• second hand smoke;
• inhalation of carbon dioxide during a fire;
• dive on great depth while diving;
• excess nutrition;
• improper operation of special breathing equipment, which is used during exercise surgical operations when the patient is under anesthesia.

Stuffy room and hypercapnia

Internal provocateurs are represented by the following list:

• convulsive or epileptic seizures;
• violation of the integrity of the brain stem, which can occur against the background of injury, leakage oncological process, inflammatory lesion or stroke;
• the course of bronchial asthma;
• pathology spinal cord eg poliomyelitis;
• not rational use medicines;
• sleep apnea syndrome during sleep - there is a sudden cessation respiratory movements;
• dystrophy muscle tissue;
• deformation changes chest, in particular kyphosis;
• sepsis;
• severe form of obesity;
• myasthenia gravis;
• chronic bronchopulmonary diseases accompanied by obstructive syndrome;
• damage to the central nervous system;
• fever;
• disruption of gas exchange lung tissue- the disorder may occur due to Mendelssohn's syndrome, Hamman-Rich disease, pneumothorax, respiratory distress syndrome, swelling or inflammation of the lungs;
• the period of bearing a child - often the disease develops in the 3rd trimester, when any breathing problems can cause hypercapnia;
• respiratory acidosis;
• malignant hyperthermia;
• atherosclerosis.

The condition is closely related to hypoxia - insufficient oxygen in the blood or oxygen starvation organism.

Classification

Based on the nature of the course, hypercapnia happens:

• acute - characterized by a sharp appearance clinical signs and significant deterioration, most common in children;
• chronic - the clinic is expressed in a slow increase in symptoms for a long time.

There are several degrees of severity of the course of the disease:

• moderate;
• deep - symptoms from the central nervous system appear and manifestations of acute respiratory failure increase;
• acidotic coma.

Depending on the causes of development, the disease happens:

• endogenous - provocateurs are internal sources;
• exogenous - develops against the background external factors.

Separately, chronic compensated hypercapnia is distinguished - it occurs when a person long period time is in the conditions of a slow increase in the level of carbon dioxide in the air. In the body, the processes of adaptation to a new environment are activated - this is a compensation for the state with increased respiratory movements.

None of the classifications includes permissive hypercapnia - a purposeful restriction of the volume of ventilation of the lungs, which is necessary to avoid excessive stretching of the alveoli, despite an increase in CO2 beyond the normal range, up to 50-100 millimeters of mercury. Art.

Symptoms

Usually the disease develops slowly, with a gradual increase in intensity. clinical manifestations. Extremely rarely there is a lightning-fast development of symptoms.

The symptoms of hypercapnia will vary slightly depending on the severity of the problem. For example, the moderate form is characterized by:

• sleep problems;
• euphoria;
• increased sweating;
• skin hyperemia;
• increased respiratory movements;
• increase in blood tone;
• increase in frequency heart rate.

The deep stage is expressed by the following symptoms:

• increased aggressiveness and agitation;
• the strongest headache;
• nausea and weakness;
• the appearance of bruises under the eyes;
• puffiness;
• decreased visual acuity;
• rare and shallow breathing;
• cyanosis of the skin;
• strong highlight cold sweat;
• increased heart rate up to 150 beats per minute;
• increase in blood pressure values;
• dizziness;
• difficulty urinating.

Acidotic coma is expressed by such signs:

• decreased reflexes;
• hyperhidrosis;
• a sharp decrease in blood tone;
• loss of consciousness;
• cyanotic skin tone;
• convulsive seizures.

In the case of a chronic course of the disease, symptoms include:

• constant fatigue;
• decrease in working capacity;
• lowering blood pressure;
• excitation, replaced by oppression of consciousness;
• dyspnea;
• breathing problems;
• sleep disturbance;
• headaches and dizziness.

In children, the symptoms are practically the same. It should be remembered that in this category of patients, hypercapnia develops much faster and is much more severe than in adults.

In those situations where the disease develops against the background of other diseases, the likelihood of the appearance of external signs underlying pathology.

If symptoms occur, it is very important to give the victim emergency care. You should call a team of doctors at home, and then perform the following actions:

• remove or remove a person from the premises with high content carbon dioxide;
• perform tracheal intubation (only if serious condition patient) - an experienced clinician can do this;
• administer emergency oxygen therapy.

The only measure of assistance to a person who has fallen into an acidotic coma is artificial ventilation of the lungs.

The main symptoms of hypercapnia

Diagnostics

Put correct diagnosis an experienced clinician will be able, based on symptoms and findings laboratory research.

The doctor needs:

• study the medical history - to look for a possible underlying disease;
• collect and analyze a life history - to identify external causes, which will determine whether there was a need for a procedure such as permissive hypercapnia;
• assess the condition of the skin;
• measure pulse, heart rate and blood tone;
• interrogate the patient in detail (if the person is conscious) or the one who delivered the victim to medical institution- to compile a complete symptomatic picture and determining the severity of the condition.

Laboratory research:

• general clinical blood test;
• blood biochemistry;
• grade gas composition biological fluid;
• analysis for KOS.

As for instrumental procedures, the following tests are performed:

• chest x-ray;
• ultrasonography;

How is an MRI done?

The tactics of therapy depends on the sources against which hypercapnia arose. If the pathology is exogenous, it is necessary:

• ventilate the room;
• go out into the fresh air;
• take a break from work
• drink a large number of liquids.

If the malaise has become a secondary phenomenon, in order to eliminate the pathology, it is necessary to eliminate the underlying disease. You may need to take these medications:

• bronchodilators;
• antibiotics;
• anti-inflammatory drugs;
• hormonal medications;
• immunostimulants;
• diuretics;
• bronchodilators;
• medications to relieve symptoms.

Eliminate Negative influence carbon dioxide on the body in the following ways:

• infusion therapy;
• artificial ventilation of the lungs;
• oxygen therapy;
• chest massage;

Possible Complications

Violation normal composition blood can cause the formation of a large number of complications:

• delayed child in mental and psychomotor development;
• epilepsy;
• hypoxia without hypercapnia in newborns;
• miscarriage;
• pulmonary hypertension;
• malignant hypertension;
• acute respiratory failure.

Prevention and prognosis

To avoid an increase in the level of carbon dioxide in the blood, you can use simple preventive recommendations:

• regular airing and ventilation of premises;
• implementation of breathing exercises;
• frequent visits to fresh air;
• observance of an adequate regime of work and rest;
• rational use of medicines strictly according to the prescription of the attending physician;
• checking and troubleshooting anesthesia machines;
• prevention of the development of conditions when permissive hypercapnia may be needed;
• ensuring adequate functioning of breathing apparatus, which are necessary for miners, firefighters and divers to work;
• timely detection and treatment of any diseases of the respiratory system, which can lead not only to hypercapnia, but also to such a condition as hypoxia without hypercapnia;
• annual passage of the full preventive examination in the clinic.

Hypercapnia has an ambiguous prognosis, since it all depends on the severity of the pathology. Death often results in respiratory and cardiac arrest.

Hypercapnia is an increased amount of carbon dioxide in the arterial blood and tissues of the body. This term is not familiar to many, but almost everyone felt the state characterized by this word.

Remember what you experienced large cluster people– in queues, in stuffy offices. or state during respiratory diseases when the nose is stuffed up and the bronchi are clogged with phlegm. The head begins to spin or hurt, there is great weakness, nausea, heart pounding, sweat comes out.

In an article about benefits of carbon dioxide We have already touched upon the concept of hypercapnia. Let's take a closer look at what this term means?

What is hypercapnia?

Carbon dioxide in our body can be both beneficial and harmful. It all depends on the amount of content. There is a concept of balance, the norm for this indicator is 4.7-6%.

The normal mechanism for removing carbon dioxide from the human body– through the lungs, by penetration from blood vessels into the alveoli. If for some reason this process is disrupted,hypercapnia– increase in carbon dioxide.

Then the CO pressure 2 in the gas mixture rises to 55– 80 mm Hg, and the level of oxygen decreases. Simply put, carbon dioxide poisoning occurs.

Types of hypercapnia

Hypercapnia is inherentlyexogenous and endogenous.

Exogenous develops with an increased content of carbon dioxide in the air. It arises, one might say, for external reasons beyond your control: queues, a stuffy room.

And endogenous hypercapnia is caused by internal causes:

1. Violation of the respiratory mechanism due to weakness skeletal muscles, chest injuries (compression, fractures), morbid obesity, scoliosis.
2. Oppression respiratory center(more rare breathing) associated with damage to the central nervous system, the use of pharmaceuticals (anesthetics, narcotic analgesics), circulatory arrest, etc.
3. Gas exchange disorders: pulmonary edema, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), pleurisy (inflammation of the lining of the lungs), pneumothorax (accumulation of air in pleural cavity) and etc.

Increase in CO 2 may also be a consequence of its increased formation in the body itself. The cause may be fever, sepsis, polytrauma, malignant hyperthermia.

Why is hypercapnia dangerous and who is affected by it?

The form of hypercapnia can be mild, such a person will not particularly feel. Leaving the stuffy room, he will quickly forget about the sensations that he experienced,– slight dizziness, redness of the skin, rapid heartbeat and breathing.

With hypercapnia of the initial form, especially if it "forms" gradually (over several days, even a month), human body copes easier. The mechanisms of adaptation and compensation are included.

With deep hypercapnia, the symptoms are more aggressive. There may be deviations from several body systems at once.

1. From the side of the nervous system: there is agitation, symptoms of increased intracranial pressure(nausea, headache, bruising under the eyes, swelling, etc.).
2. From the side of cardio-vascular system: blood pressure continues to rise, the pulse reaches 150 beats / min., there is a risk of bleeding.
3. From the respiratory system. The symptoms of acute respiratory failure increase: the rhythm of breathing is disturbed, it becomes superficial and rare, bronchosecretion increases, the skin tone is bluish, sweating is strong.

The most severe degree of hypercapnia (it is also the most dangerous)– hypercapnic coma. A person in a state of coma has no reflexes and consciousness, blood pressure drops sharply, the skin tone is cyanotic (bluish). The result may be a stoppage of breathing and heart function, i.e. fatal outcome.

Highly great danger hypercapnia presents for women during pregnancy. Speech can go
about miscarriage due to the development of respiratory failure, increased blood pressure
and disorders of placental gas exchange.

The second scenario– a child may be born with a pathology (mental retardation, psychomotor development, child cerebral paralysis, epilepsy, etc.). High level SO 2 negatively affects the still not fully developed nervous system of the baby.

How to stabilize the condition of a person affected by hypercapnia?

Help with hypercapnia

The amount of assistance to the victim depends, of course, on the degree of carbon dioxide poisoning. In order to stabilize a person's condition and reduce the risks of complications, it is necessary, firstly, to ensure a sufficient supply of oxygen. This is the simplest and at the same time the most important step.

If a person himself is not able to leave a stuffy room, you need to take him out into the air. Most of the time this is enough for elimination of mild exogenous hypercapnia.

With endogenous (internal) origin we are talking about how to eliminate the underlying disease or mitigate the severity of its symptoms. Some patients are prescribed systematic cleaning respiratory tract, liquefaction and excretion of viscous bronchial secretions.

A good effect is given by the patient's stay in a cool room with a humidity level of more than 50%. To improve lung ventilation, bronchodilators are used - a group of drugs that can relax the muscular wall of the bronchi and thereby increase their lumen, as well as respiratory stimulants. Thanks to these measures, the patient's condition is normalized.

In case of severe carbon dioxide poisoning, you will not manage on your own, here you will need the help of doctors, sometimes emergency. Otherwise, the person may die.

In particular severe cases doctors perform tracheal intubation (the introduction of a special tube for intensive care), oxygen therapy (the patient breathes a balanced oxygen-nitrogen mixture), resort to artificial lung ventilation.

Hypercapnia and breathing exercises

With endogenous hypercapnia, which appears due to internal violations in the work of the body, it is contraindicated to engage in breathing exercises Or do breathing exercises.

But despite this, it was important for us to blog about this phenomenon and its consequences. After all, we often talk about the benefits of carbon dioxide, so it would be simply dishonest to remain silent about its harm.

If you have been diagnosed with hypercapnia or acidosis by your doctor, do not under any circumstances start exercising on breathing machines. This may make the situation worse.

If you do not have such a diagnosis, and the carbon dioxide content is below normal, then you can purchase a breathing simulator. In this case, you do not need to be afraid that you will have a serious endogenous hypercapnia.

Firstly, the simulator cannot lead to such a result, it is aimed only athealing of the body . Secondly, you can always measure the level of carbon dioxide using a special camera that comes with the simulator.

Carefully monitor your health, listen to all the "signals" of your body
and subscribe to our blog to recognize them in time.

Hypercapnia is the amount of carbon dioxide in the blood. Provoke its development:

• internal factors (inhalation of air containing carbon dioxide, violation of the regime during artificial lung ventilation, high air temperature, deep-sea diving, fire);
• external factors ( foreign objects in the trachea, bronchi, spasm, bronchial asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, lung surgery, tuberculosis, etc.);
• extrapulmonary factors (drugs, anesthesia, traumatic brain injury, stroke, etc.);
• secondary occur with massive bleeding, a drop in blood pressure, a state of shock, pulmonary embolism, impaired systemic and pulmonary circulation.

The main consequence of excess carbon dioxide is acidification of the blood (acidosis). As a result, breathing problems, impaired oxygen penetration through the alveoli, expansion of systemic and peripheral vessels, increased intracranial pressure and pulmonary arteries, decrease in body temperature, increased blood flow to the heart, increased blood flow in the head, with high concentration – convulsive syndrome and drug effect.

Symptoms of pathology do not differ in specificity and constancy, chronic forms are asymptomatic. At acute poisoning note: nausea, vomiting, headache and dizziness, shortness of breath, sweating, blue skin and blurred vision, depression, drowsiness, general weakness. With progression, it can lead to respiratory arrest, death.

4 stages are noted, the third (hypercapnic coma) and the fourth (terminal) require immediate resuscitation. According to the types, alveolar, permissive, acute and chronic are distinguished.

Hypocapnia is different from hypercapnia low content carbon dioxide in the blood, tantrums, panic, diving, inflating swimming facilities can provoke. Chronic comorbid mental disorders and brain damage. It is manifested by headache and heart pain, tachycardia, indigestion and abdominal pain. Clouding of consciousness or fainting is possible.

Diagnosis includes blood tests, spirography, chest x-ray, capnography using a carbon dioxide analyzer of exhaled air.

Treatment begins with the exclusion of provocateur factors, the withdrawal of a person from the room, the removal of obstructions to breathing, oxygen and therapy of the underlying disease. In a coma - ventilation of the lungs.

Learn more about the causes of hypercapnia, its types and manifestations, methods of treatment from this article.

Read in this article

Reasons for the development of hypercapnia

An excess of carbon dioxide in the blood can be caused by external and internal factors. The first group includes:

• inhalation of air with a high content of carbon dioxide (closed isolated rooms, stay in mines, autonomous diving suits);
• violation of the mode of artificial ventilation of the lungs;
• production since high temperature air - bakers, steelworkers;
• deep diving;
• staying on fire.

Internal causes of hypercapnia are most often associated with lung diseases:

• penetration of a foreign body into the trachea, bronchial branches;
• spasm of the larynx;
• an attack of bronchial asthma;
• increased secretion of sputum with bronchitis;
• pneumonia;
• chest trauma;
• major lung surgery;
• tuberculosis;
• thickening of lung tissue occupational diseases(dust bronchitis, pneumoconiosis), pneumosclerosis.

To extrapulmonary internal reasons include respiratory depression under the influence of drugs, means for general anesthesia. Hypercapnia occurs in traumatic brain injury, intracerebral tumor. Respiratory failure can also provoke paralysis of the respiratory muscles in botulism, myasthenia gravis, tetanus and poliomyelitis, massive administration of muscle relaxants during surgical operations.

Secondary respiratory disorders occur with massive bleeding, a drop in blood pressure, a state of shock, a violation of the systemic and pulmonary circulation.

Effect on the body

The main consequence of excess carbon dioxide is acidification of the blood (acidosis). At the cellular level, the movement of ions in the membranes is disturbed - chlorine passes into red blood cells, and potassium leaves them into the blood plasma. The ability of hemoglobin to attach oxygen decreases, and, consequently, its content in the blood (hypoxemia).

The consequences of hypercapnia include:

• activation of respiration (after an increase to 70 mm Hg - depression);
• violation of oxygen penetration through the alveoli, even with increased concentration him in the air;
• an increase in oxygen consumption by tissues, and then a decrease;
• expansion of systemic and peripheral vessels;
• increased pressure in the pulmonary artery system;
• increase in intracranial pressure;
• decrease in body temperature;
• increased venous blood flow to the heart;
• increase in brain and coronary circulation with subsequent inhibition of blood flow in severe hypercapnia.

On the nervous system carbon dioxide has a predominantly inhibitory effect - excitability and conductivity decrease nerve impulses after a period of brief activation. At a high concentration of carbon dioxide, a convulsive syndrome appears, and later a narcotic effect occurs.

Symptoms of pathology

Depending on the concentration of carbon dioxide in the air, a person experiences such changes in the body:

• impurity from 1 to 3% (normally 0.04%) - after a few days, the kidneys retain bicarbonate, the formation of red blood cells increases. Without loss of working capacity, a person can work at 1% for a month or more, with 2-3% - for several days;
• after 6% the condition worsens, over 10% consciousness is disturbed after 5 minutes.

Clinical signs of hypercapnia do not differ in specificity and constancy. Every person has individual reaction to increase blood carbon dioxide.

Chronic forms with minor deviations from the norm are asymptomatic, since the body easily adapts to metabolic disorders. In acute poisoning, symptoms include:

• nausea, vomiting;
• headache, ;
• shortness of breath even at rest;
• sweating;
• blue skin;
• visual impairment;
• depressive state;
• drowsiness, decreased ability to concentrate;
• stunned;
• general weakness.

With increasing hypercapnia rapid breathing is replaced by a rare one, and then it can completely stop. High blood pressure decreasing, decreasing cardiac output. Often there are arrhythmias in the form of single or paired extrasystoles. Renal blood flow does not change with a moderate increase in carbon dioxide in the blood, as the poisoning progresses, the amount of urine excreted (oliguria) decreases.

stages

An increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide and an increase in acidosis is characterized by a staging of the course.

Types of hypercapnia

Depending on the mechanism of development and the duration of the damaging factor, several types of hypercapnia have been identified.

Alveolar

The most common form of hypercapnia. It occurs when there is a decrease in ventilation in the alveoli of the lungs. It occurs with injuries, impaired airway patency, a decrease in functioning lung tissue during inflammation, emphysema, pneumosclerosis, edema or congestion in the lungs. It is also caused by respiratory depression on the background of anesthesia or drug, drug intoxication, brain damage.

permissive

Such hypercapnia is created intentionally during artificial lung ventilation (ALV) in order to prevent excessive stretching of the lungs, to limit the amplitude of movement of the affected areas. With it, the level of carbon dioxide (35-45 mm Hg is normal) is increased to 50-120 units.

Tolerable (permissive) hypercapnia is used in resuscitation practice for adults and newborns, since a controlled increase in carbon dioxide causes such reactions in the body:

• stimulates the expansion of the bronchi;
• leads to the disclosure of augmented ventilation paths;
• promotes the formation of surfactant - pulmonary surfactant, which does not allow the alveoli to subside (not developed in premature babies);
• improves the penetration of oxygen into the blood.

Permissive hypercapnia is contraindicated in decompensated acidosis, high, severe and, acute renal failure and.

Acute and chronic

Acute development of hypercapnia is noted with a sudden cessation of breathing. It can be caused by suffocation, drowning, compression of the chest during compression injury, blow electric current, disruption of ventilation systems in closed mines, on submarines, malfunction of the ventilator. In such cases, the symptoms increase over minutes and in the absence of emergency assistance the patient falls into a coma with a fatal outcome.

At chronic disorder excess carbon dioxide can be compensated by the body by increasing respiration and retention of bicarbonates by the kidneys. Such forms are latent, but with continued exposure to a damaging factor, they can become acute with severe clinical symptoms.

What is the difference between hypercapnia and hypocapnia

A low level of carbon dioxide in the blood is called hypocapnia. Such conditions lead in mild cases to dizziness, and in more severe cases to loss of consciousness. Occurs with panic, hysterical reactions, which are accompanied by frequent and deep breathing. Forced breaths occur when diving, inflating swimming mattresses. low physical activity and age-related changes also cause hypocapnia.

Chronic enhanced ventilation of the lungs ( hyperventilation syndrome) accompanies mental disorders and brain damage. It is manifested by headache and heart pain, indigestion and abdominal pain. Clouding of consciousness or fainting is possible.

Condition Diagnostics

Hypercapnia may be suspected based on the patient's complaints, as well as on the basis of the circumstances of their occurrence. The most reliable criterion is the determination of the gas composition of the blood and acid-base balance. At the same time, respiratory (respiratory) acidosis is detected in a decompensated form. In the future, its compensation occurs due to the exchange alkalization of the blood with the participation of the hemoglobin buffer, the work of the kidneys and lungs.

To determine the causes of the development and course of pathology, patients are prescribed:

• general blood test, electrolyte composition;
• spirography;
• x-ray examination of the chest;
• capnography using a carbon dioxide analyzer of exhaled air.

Treatment of hypercapnia

First of all, the patient needs to provide an influx of fresh air, remove it from an atmosphere with a high content of carbon dioxide, and remove obstacles to breathing. In a coma, an artificial lung ventilator is urgently connected. Oxygen therapy is mainly used for external factors in the development of hypercapnia.

Internal causes require the treatment of a disease that caused a violation of the gas composition of the blood. Oxygen is used with great care, especially in case of respiratory depression against the background of drug poisoning, with exacerbation of respiratory failure against the background of lung diseases. in such patients, it worsens the condition, as it further suppresses the activity of the respiratory center.

Prevention

It is possible to prevent external hypercapnia by observing safety rules when working in sealed rooms, scuba diving, ensuring sufficient absorption of carbon dioxide by filters, and the serviceability of anesthesia and ventilators should also be monitored.

For the prevention of chronic forms of pathology, it is recommended:

• frequent exposure to fresh air;
• ventilation of industrial and residential premises;
• treatment of respiratory diseases;
• daily therapeutic and breathing exercises;
• increasing the fitness of the body with the help of swimming, running, walking.

Hypercapnia occurs with lung disease, respiratory depression, or an increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the inhaled air. The chronic form may be asymptomatic, in acute and severe poisoning it manifests itself in a coma. Permissive hypercapnia is used for medicinal purposes.

To make a diagnosis, the gas composition of the blood is examined. In treatment, oxygen is used with caution, the main efforts are aimed at eliminating the cause of the increase in carbon dioxide in the blood.

Useful video

Watch the video about acid-base balance:

Read also

Enough important indicator- blood acidity. In many diseases, it is important to know ph, its norm or deviations - increased or reduced level. For this, it is carried out special analysis with a ph meter.

This definition of hypercapnia refers to the state of the human body, during which there is an increase in carbon dioxide. This property can affect tissues and arterial blood. It can manifest itself after the influence of many factors. First of all, hypercapnia begins to manifest itself if a person is often in an enclosed space. The very first symptom that the progression of the disease began is a headache.
Very often, especially in winter period year, a person is indoors, which does not allow the influx of clean air to settle in the body. If you are regularly in a closed space, then it begins to manifest chronic fatigue and a state of depression. To avoid this, it is necessary as often as possible to go out into the fresh air and take short walks.
The manifestation of hypercapnia threatens even some professions. For the most part, people are prone to this disease after long stays in mines, wells, underwater or submarines. In addition to these factors, sometimes there are cases when a disease occurs after an operation has been performed, and complications after anesthesia have begun. These causes are called external, because the disease develops from factors that act from the outside.
The internal origin of the disease occurs due to the fact that in the human body there are various pathologies. They may be associated with hypoxia or insufficiency in the supply of oxygen to the respiratory system. Hypercapnia, renders bad influence on the body of each person, but in completely different ways. It all depends on how long the person spent in an enclosed space. In the blood, the amount of carbon dioxide begins to increase, which is why hypercapnia manifests itself.
If you do not apply in time medical care and do not pay attention to the first symptoms, then this threatens with serious consequences. Irreversible shifts in the entire functionality of the human body begin to occur. Suffering not only chemical composition blood and muscle, but also physical. Little by little everything metabolic processes start to slow down, which can threaten complete exhaustion organism and its loss of ability to work.
Once the disease of hypercapnia has begun, the physiological processes. This is due to the fact that the amount of carbon dioxide in the blood noticeably increases. Subsequently, this phenomenon begins to develop an increase in acidity. internal environment. This process is referred to as acidosis and causes great harm to the body. After this process has started, intracellular metabolism begins to be disturbed. It significantly reduces the amount of hemoglobin in the blood. It is known to be a guide of oxygen to blood cells and tissues. All internal organs begin to suffer from the fact that they are completely lacking oxygen. At this stage, even the fact that a large amount of fresh air enters the lungs will not help. All metabolic processes are significantly disturbed, and oxygen does not spread throughout the body.
Due to all the shifts present in the work of the body, many diseases begin to appear. First of all, there is a decrease in body temperature. It depends on the fact that there is a very large amount of carbon dioxide in the body. With its cumulative effect, it begins to excite all centers of respiration. Because of this, problems with shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing air may occur. If the body accumulates a lot large dose carbon dioxide, it threatens to completely stop the respiratory tract.
Hypercapnia can also occur in small doses. It gradually begins to complicate the respiratory processes, which in the future will lead to a decrease in the level of working capacity and problems in the work of the cardiovascular system. After the next portion of carbon dioxide has accumulated in the body, it can give an impetus so that the blood begins to arrive in large quantities to the vital important bodies person. First of all, the kidneys, heart and brain begin to suffer.
On the this stage the development of the disease, problems begin with an increase in blood pressure. In addition, if at the very beginning a large amount of carbon dioxide simply excited the nervous system, then in the future, it can lead to regular pain and convulsions. In many manifestations of hypercapnia, intermittent signs are observed. This is due to the fact that the whole disease proceeds slowly and the body has time to adapt to a new effect.

Symptoms of hypercapnia

If you do not contact a specialist with the manifested symptoms in time, then this disease can lead to the onset of oxygen starvation, and it will cause the death of a person. In order to cure this disease or prevent its occurrence, it is necessary to be in the fresh air as often as possible. After all, if the disease is progressive, then only artificial ventilation of the lungs will save the person.

Hypercapnia is a condition caused by large quantity carbon dioxide in human blood. In other words, this is what ordinary carbon dioxide poisoning is called. This phenomenon is referred to as special cases of hypoxia. This condition usually occurs due to the fact that a person long time located in an unventilated area. As a result, there is a headache, nausea and even fainting. Everything points to the fact that there is too much carbon dioxide in the air. If a person is constantly in this state, then this will cause depression, and fatigue will turn into chronic form.

An increased level of carbon dioxide concentration in the human body (and not only in the blood, but also in tissues) can be caused by various factors. Usually they are conditionally divided into external and internal.

Exogenous hypercapnia is provoked by the inhaled air, which is saturated with carbon dioxide. When the concentration of carbon dioxide in the air is more than 5%, when inhaled, a person has signs of poisoning. Usually the head begins to spin, nausea appears, the intensity of breathing increases, sweating. Sometimes a person loses consciousness. All of these are signs of hypercapnia.

This condition can be triggered in several cases. First, hypercapnia manifests itself in people who have used a broken or defective breathing apparatus that has a closed cycle. Secondly, the reason may be being in a pressure chamber, which does not ventilate the air well, but at the same time several people are located in it at the same time. Thirdly, hypercapnia appears in a person who has used scuba gear, but at the same time his balloon is clogged. By the way, if you swim with a regular breathing tube, then when you exhale, old air can accumulate in it, which contains a large amount of carbon dioxide. In this case, the swimmer will inhale just this air, which will lead to the symptoms of hypercapnia. If you hold your breath for a long time while swimming underwater, a similar problem may also occur. Many people, when swimming underwater, try to conserve air, which is why they do not exhale for a long time. This is the mistake that leads to carbon dioxide poisoning and headaches.

If compressors with bad filters are used in stuffy room which is poorly ventilated, such symptoms will appear. Also, the cause may be an allergy to something, so it is necessary to find out what provokes such a reaction in the body. If while under anesthesia there are problems with the work of the respiratory apparatus, then the first symptoms of hypercapnia also appear.

As for the endogenous type of the disease, it is provoked internal factors. This is usually associated with respiratory failure, and almost always this condition is combined with hypoxia - this is a phenomenon in which the body lacks oxygen.

The symptoms of this pathology are inconsistent. If the patient has a chronic form of hypercapnia, but at the same time the concentration of carbon dioxide in the body is at a moderate level, then changes will be observed quite rarely. This is due to the fact that such a phenomenon develops gradually, so that the whole body has time to get used to it. However, despite this, permanent excitement appears, but then it is always replaced by a depressed mood. Headaches are felt, but not particularly intense. There is nausea, fatigue, constantly lowered blood pressure.

If the patient has an acute form of gas poisoning, the patient will feel severe shortness of breath. Moreover, it will disturb, even when a person is at rest. On the mild nausea the matter does not stop, so that the patient also suffers from bouts of vomiting. There is dizziness, the intensity of sweating increases, vision problems appear. Skin are starting to turn blue. The main sign of hypercapnia is a depressed state, which gradually develops into depression. Moreover, depression will increase as the concentration of carbon dioxide in the human body increases. Gradually, it becomes more and more difficult for a person to concentrate, so attention, memory and other cognitive functions suffer. Consciousness is confused. Feeling sleepy all the time. The person may lose consciousness.

One of the most serious complications hypercapnia is a coma. It develops when a person gradually switches from inhaling air with a large amount of carbon dioxide to air that is rich in oxygen. In this case, hypoxia can become very deep (this is called oxygen starvation). In the future, such a complication can lead to death.

As for performance, it remains with hypercapnia, but may change. A person will not lose his full working capacity if he breathes air for a month, in which the concentration of carbon dioxide is 1%. The same applies to the case if you breathe air with a gas concentration of about 2-3% for several days. If the level rises to 5%, then a person will not lose working capacity within just a few hours. The mark of 6% is critical. At the same time, the person's condition begins to deteriorate sharply, so that performance is impaired. If there is about 10% carbon dioxide in the air, then the condition will deteriorate sharply after 15 minutes. If the mark reaches 15%, then a person only needs a couple of minutes. The lethal level is considered to be 30%, and death will occur within a few hours.

How is the disease treated

The definition of hypercapnia is carried out by external signs.

As soon as this condition is detected, urgent treatment is required. It is carried out through pure oxygen. As soon as the victim shows symptoms acute form hypercapnia with exogenous origin (i.e., the cause is external), the person must be quickly removed from the room where the atmosphere has increased rate concentration of carbon dioxide. It is imperative to carry out restorative measures to stabilize the gas composition of the air. The patient needs to inhale a mixture of nitrogen and oxygen, and the last element should be up to 40%. If the patient already falls into a coma, then only artificial ventilation of the lungs can bring him out. In medicine, there are even cases when a person was in a coma for this reason for several days, and then, with the help of intensive care, he was nevertheless taken out of this state.

If the patient's hypercapnia is caused by internal factors, then this disease is endogenous. The pathology usually occurs on the background lung failure which has become chronic. Endogenous hypercapnia in this case will pass only after the primary disease is cured. It is necessary to clearly select therapy depending on the disease. As soon as the main ailment is eliminated, hypercapnia will cease to torment the person, and the condition will stabilize.

To control attacks of hypo- and hypercapnia, a device such as a capnograph is actively used in medicine. It is an analyzer of the concentration of carbon dioxide in the air that people exhale. Carbon dioxide differs in diffusion properties, so that the air that a person exhales will contain almost as much of this component as in human blood. In addition, the partial pressure of carbon dioxide during exhalation is a very important parameter for determining the work of the whole organism.