Your body is an amazing machine; most of what it needs to function properly is automatic, such as sending signals to nerves and muscles by your brain, the beating of blood through your heart and the flow of air through your lungs. If healthy, your...
The harder you work the faster you use oxygen, but so much fresh air is in the world it is hard to use it up, unless you exercise in a small, enclosed space, sealed off from the outside. Normally, air contains 20.95 percent oxygen, according to...
Our bodies receive oxygen from the air we breath. In our lungs, this oxygen moves across thin membranes and enters the bloodstream. Oxygen is bound to special molecules on red blood cells called hemoglobin, which let it travel in the blood to the...
Oxygen is necessary to sustain your life. The normal oxygen levels between women and men do not vary; oxygen is needed equally by both genders. However, the factors that influence your body's ability to take in and carry oxygen may be affected by...
Oxygen enters the body through the nose during inhalation. From there it travels to lungs and into the lung capillaries where it gets picked up by red blood cells and enters into the bloodstream. Anything that disrupts any part of this sequence...
The safest oxygen level for an infant on a ventilator is the lowest level that delivers enough oxygen to sustain the life of vital organs. The right amount of oxygen differs with each case and the course of the underlying disease and therapy over...
The cells in your body need oxygen to carry out metabolism and produce enough energy to live and support your activities. Red blood cells are responsible for picking up oxygen from your lungs, transporting it in your bloodstream and delivering it...
Because your cells need oxygen to live, it is important to keep your oxygen at a level to which your body can function properly. Because the body is unable to store oxygen, it must be constantly supplied throughout blood cells when levels are low....
Your muscles require up to 100 times the blood flow during exercise than they need at rest, according to Dr. Michael Joyner, one of the principal investigators at Mayo Clinic’s Center for Translation Sciences and Activities. This increased...
Since the cells cannot store sufficient levels of oxygen for more than a few minutes at a time, the body needs a steady supply of oxygen from the environment. Several natural methods of increasing oxygen levels in the blood help you avoid the...
Pulse oximetry is a technology health professionals use to determine the amount of oxygen in your blood. Keeping levels within a normal range means oxygen is being delivered to the cells of the body to keep them functioning. Variables in pulse...
The body requires an adequate amount of oxygen in the blood. Healthy red blood cells contain between 95 and 100 percent saturation with oxygen, reports Harvard Health Publications. Low blood oxygen, or hypoxemia, may be a symptom of inadequate...
Oxygen is the primary mechanism for which energy is produced during physical activity. Exercise has both chronic and acute effects on oxygen use. During exercise, rate of breathing and oxygen consumption are increased. Over time, your body's use...
Oxygen is an essential element for the human body to function normally. When you breathe in, the oxygen travels through your lungs and into the blood stream, where red blood cells pick it up to distribute it throughout the body. Poor air intake,...
Your body needs oxygen to produce the energy needed to function normally. The oxygen you breathe in goes through tiny air sacs in your lungs and into the blood stream, where red blood cells pick it up and carry it throughout the body. This system...
Low levels of oxygen in your blood, also known as hypoxemia, can be caused by illnesses such as emphysema, pulmonary disease or cardiovascular disease. This condition is characterized by shortness of breath, fatigue and waking up with the...
An oxygen saturation level is the amount of oxygen in the hemoglobin of the red blood cells. A child in good health should have an oxygen saturation level between 95 percent and 100 percent, according to About Kids' Health. In other words, between...
You may have heard that supplemental "glyconutrients" help to add oxygen at the cellular level and provide for your "essential sugar" needs. However, there's no scientific evidence to support the need for glyconutrient...
An infant is born with cells that have the capacity to carry oxygen to all the tissues in the body. These red blood cells contain the protein hemoglobin, which carries the oxygen. Oxygen saturation is a measure of how much oxygen is bound to the...
Because breathing is largely an unconscious process, it's only when breathing becomes difficult that a person begins to take notice. The earth's atmosphere is 21 percent oxygen, which is enough to support human life until problems arise. When...
The brain monitors levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood to maintain ideal oxygen levels. During exercise the body uses more oxygen to supply the muscles with energy. To meet the need for additional oxygen, the body increases the rate...
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences defines water pollution as “any contamination of water with chemicals or other foreign substances that are detrimental to human, plant or animal health.” These substances are...
Liver cirrhosis occurs when normal cells and tissues of the liver are replaced by fibrous scar tissue. Common causes include viral infections and alcohol abuse. Liver cirrhosis is associated with a number of complications including pulmonary...
Oxygen is extracted from air you breathe through your lungs. How much oxygen you get to your vital organs depends on a number of factors. Oxygen levels are especially important for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema and...
The best way to treat pneumonia caused by a bacterial infection is with antibiotics. Patients can receive antibiotics orally or intravenously in a hospital setting. Patients with double pneumonia may receive a course of intravenous antibiotics...
CPAP, or continuous positive airway pressure, is the most common treatment for sleep apnea. The CPAP machine is also used in a health care setting to provide temporary, noninvasive ventilation for patients who choose not to be intubated and placed...
Sickle cell anemia is a condition that results from a mutation in the hemoglobin protein. Hemoglobin is present in red blood cells and is responsible for binding to and transporting oxygen. People with sickle cell disease have a tendency for their...
During exercise, you breathe more heavily and more rapidly and your heart rate increases to supply muscles with needed oxygen. A pulse oximeter can be used during exercise to measure the oxygen saturation of your blood. Your pulse oximeter...
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, is a disease of the lungs. A diagnosis is made in part through a physical exam and medical history. Your doctor will ask if you have risk factors such as being a smoker. Symptoms will be evaluated...
Learn how to swim a competitive butterfly stroke race in this free video clip. Get swimming lessons from an expert on health and fitness.
Carbon monoxide is a dangerous gas that attaches to blood vessels more easily than oxygen, thus keeping oxygen out of your bloodstream. Learn more about carbon monoxide including treatments and symptoms in this medical video.
Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lungs that's usually caused by infection with bacteria, viruses, fungi or other organisms. Pneumonia is a particular concern for older adults and people with chronic illnesses or impaired immune systems. Learn...
