Breathing Exercise Definition, Reason, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention
Understanding
Breathing Exercise in the human body involves two processes, namely the circulation of oxygen from the lungs to the blood to be circulated throughout the body and the taking of carbon dioxide as exhaust gas from the blood to the lungs to then be removed from the body. Disruption in any of these processes has the potential to cause respiratory failure.
There are two types of respiratory failure, namely type 1 respiratory failure and type 2 respiratory failure. This paper will discuss type 2 respiratory failure. In type 2 respiratory failure blood oxygen levels are detected below normal values and carbon dioxide levels are detected far above normal values.
Symptom
Symptoms that are commonly seen in patients with type 2 respiratory failure are as follows:
- Shortness of breath and pale. Shortness of breath occurs due to low levels of oxygen in the blood. As a result, the skin and lips and nails will look paler.
- Quick breath. An increase in the frequency of breathing occurs as the body’s effort to remove excess carbon dioxide in the blood.
- Loss of consciousness. If not treated immediately, low oxygen levels will make the brain unable to work properly. The brain itself is the center of consciousness and in the end this center of consciousness will be sacrificed.
- Irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia). Lack of oxygen in the brain will cause a decrease in consciousness, while in the heart it will result in irregular heart rhythms.
Reason
The most common causes of type 2 respiratory failure are chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. Other, less common causes include chronic bronchitis, chest deformity, and respiratory muscle weakness in Guillain-Barre syndrome. In addition, decreased function of the respiratory center in the brain, for example due to an overdose of illegal drugs, can also cause type 2 respiratory failure.
Diagnosis
Determining the diagnosis of type 2 respiratory failure requires a detailed medical interview, physical examination, and supporting examinations.
During the medical interview, it will be known if there is a history of certain diseases that can cause complications of type 2 respiratory failure. A disease that often causes type 2 respiratory failure is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Meanwhile, on physical examination, generally patients with type 2 respiratory failure appear pale, experience shortness of breath with a high respiratory rate. Then on examination with a stethoscope will find additional breath sounds.
On supporting examination with pulse oximetry, at the fingertips, low oxygen levels below 60 mm Hg and high carbon dioxide levels > 50 mm Hg were found.
Treatment
Adequate oxygen administration is the main modality in the treatment of type 2 respiratory failure. The method used can be non-invasive, such as an oxygen mask. The oxygen mask used in type 2 respiratory failure is a non-rebreathing mask so that the oxygen that is released will not be re-breathed.
If non-invasive methods are not successful, invasive therapies such as inserting an endotracheal tube (ETT) or tracheotomy will be used. ETT is a tube that is placed through the mouth and leads to the base of the lung. This tool will then be connected to a breathing apparatus or ventilator. Meanwhile, a tracheotomy is an act of perforating the neck and then attaching a tube that enters the trachea.
Complications:
Low oxygen levels and high levels of carbon dioxide in type 2 respiratory failure will decrease brain function. Whereas the brain is the center of all the work of the body’s organs, including the center of consciousness.
Therefore, the complication that is easy to see at the start is loss of consciousness. Low oxygen levels also have an impact on the heart in the form of heart rhythm disturbances or arrhythmias. If not handled properly, this condition can cause multiple organ failure and lead to death.
Prevention
Prevention of type 2 respiratory failure can be done by treating the underlying disease. In patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), for example, it is necessary to provide adequate treatment to prevent attacks of shortness of breath from coming back.
Likewise with asthma sufferers. Avoiding asthma triggers and administering attack control drugs is the key to preventing asthma attacks from recurring and avoiding the risk of type 2 respiratory failure.