Oxygen is essential for life, and when it's in short supply, there are consequences, such as severe headaches. Three primary causes of headaches include carbon-monoxide poisoning, travel to high altitudes and obstructive sleep apnea. And, in the case of carbon-monoxide poisoning, the consequences can include disability and death.
Carbon-monoxide Poisoning
Lack of oxygen caused by carbon monoxide as a result of a running a vehicle in an attached garage, a generator used inside the house during a disaster such as a hurricane, or a clogged fireplace at any time, can lead to headaches, disability and death. About 450 Americans die each year from carbon-monoxide poisoning, also the primary cause of unintentional poisoning deaths, according to the federal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly. More than 20,000 emergency-room visits are linked to carbon-monoxide poisoning, and the weekly states that 41 percent of all exposures to the deadly gas occur from December to February.
Carbon-monoxide detectors could prevent half of all deaths caused by carbon-monoxide poisoning, according to a 2006 report from the National Workgroup on Carbon Monoxide Surveillance, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The group notes that some states have taken action to protect individuals; for example, both homeowners and landlords in Alaska who use wood, coal, gas, oil or any other fuel that emits carbon monoxide are required to install detectors. A similar law exists in Massachusetts, which also requires buildings with parking areas within the structure to have carbon monoxide alarms.
Exposure to High Altitudes
Some people develop a headache when they travel to high altitudes. In a study by Iranian neurologist J. Jafarian and colleagues, the researchers analyzed results from 118 adults who ascended to a mountain clinic, asking them 24 hours later if they had headaches or nasal congestion. The researchers assumed headaches and nasal congestion were linked. More than half--55.9 percent--said they had developed headaches and less than a third--28.8 percent--reported nasal congestion. The researchers found that having a headache was not associated with a higher risk for nasal congestion.
The researchers noted altitude illness from hypoxia--low oxygen levels--can occur at levels 2,000 meters above sea level, which is about 6,500 feet or 1.2 miles. The study subjects were at 3,450 meters above sea level, about 11,000 feet or 2.1 miles.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea is caused by the repeated collapsing of a person's upper airway, which leads to hyoxemia--low blood levels of oxygen--as well as sleep fragmentation and other problems, according to Dr. Lawrence J. Epstein and fellow task members of the Adult Obstructive Sleep Apnea Task Force of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. They say the primary treatment for moderate to severe apnea is continuous positive airway pressure--CPAP--felivered orally, nasally or oronasally during sleep. This treatment keeps the airway open.
Lower oxygen levels of people with sleep apnea can trigger early-morning headaches, according to Dr. Sigrid C. Veaseyand colleagues. They say four controlled trials have treated individuals with sleep apnea with supplemental oxygen and these subjects had measurably lower levels of hypoxemia subsequent to oxygen treatment. The subjects also said they were less sleepy. The researchers noted oxygen therapy may be useful in the future for patients resistant to using CPAP. The best dosages of oxygen and the risks and benefits of supplemental oxygen, however, are currently unknown.
References
- "Cephalgia"; Reverse Association between High-altitude Headache and Nasal Congestion; S. Jafarian, F. Gorouhi and J. Lotfi; February 2007
- National Workgroup on Carbon Monoxide Surveillance: Carbon Monoxide: A Model Environmental Public Health Indicator; April 2006
- MMWR Weekly: Nonfatall, Unintentional, Non-Fire-Related Carbon Monoxide Exposures-United States, 2004-2006; Agust 22, 2008
- "Sleep"; Medical Therapy for Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A REview by the Medical Therapy for Obstructive Sleep Apnea Task Force of the Standards of Practice Committee of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine; Sigrid C. Veasey, M.D., et al.; 2006
- "Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine"; Clinical Guideline for the Evaluation, Management and Long-Term of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Adults; Lawrence J. Epstein, M.D., et al; 2009
