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Health and ABI
Lack of Oxygen Brain Injuries Anoxia - no oxygen / Hypoxia - a lack of oxygen to the brain can be a major cause of brain injury. When oxygen levels are significantly low for four minutes or longer, brain cells begin to die and after five minutes permanent anoxic brain injury can occur. Also known as cerebral hypoxia or hypoxic-anoxic injury.
Restoring normal oxygen to the brain will prevent further brain damage and treating the site of the injury will be a major contributing factor in treatment i.e. treating the heart due to hear arrhythmia or a patient for stroke.
Recovery will depend on many contributing factors and the degree of anoxic damage and the rate of recovery.
Common causes of all forms of anoxia are:
Infections The brain and its surrounding membranes are very prone to infections and can become infected by a large spectrum of germs / microorganisms. Bacteria and viruses are the most common offenders. Parasite, fungi and others can infect the central nervous system also.
Tumors
Toxic chemicals When harmful chemicals damage the neurons of the brain it can cause metabolic disorders Care should be taken when dealing with insecticides, solvents, carbon monoxide poisoning, lead poisoning etc.
Stroke A Stroke is an interruption of blood supply to part of the brain depriving it of oxygen. If arteries become blocked, bleed or break, then the brain tissue that was being nourished deteriorates. When this lack of blood supply occurs to the heart it is called a heart attack. When it occurs in the brain it is called a stroke.
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