What causes blood oxygenation to drop in many Covid patients?

The decreased arterial blood oxygen levels in many Covid-19 cases could be caused by infection in carotid bodies by SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the pandemic, says a new study.

Carotid bodies, located on either side of the neck next to the carotid artery, detect the drop in blood oxygen and send signals to the brain to stimulate the respiratory centre.

The new research, detailed in the journal Function, relies on experiments that have revealed a high presence of the enzyme ECA2, the protein the coronavirus uses to infect human cells, in the carotid body.

One of the physiopathological characteristics of Covid-19 that has most baffled the scientific and medical community is what is known as "silent hypoxemia" or "happy hypoxia".

Patients suffering this phenomenon, the causes of which are still unknown, have severe pneumonia with reduced arterial blood oxygen levels -- known as hypoxemia.

Patients with "silent hypoxemia" often suffer a sudden imbalance, reaching a critical state that can be fatal.

In patients with Covid-19, the coronavirus circulates in the blood.

Therefore, in this study researchers from the University of Seville in Spain suggest that infection of the human carotid body by SARS-CoV-2 in the early stages of the disease could alter its ability to detect blood oxygen levels, resulting in an inability to "notice" the drop in oxygen in the arteries.

If this hypothesis, which is currently being tested in new experimental models, is confirmed, this would justify the use of activators of the carotid body independent of the oxygen sensing mechanism as respiratory stimulants in patients with Covid-19.

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Pulse oximeters: How they work, may help fight COVID-19 and more

As coronavirus testing efforts continue to ramp up and face masks become part of everyday life, a tiny diagnostic tool that clips to your finger is quickly becoming a must-have gadget in the fight against COVID-19. It's called a pulse oximeter, and it checks your blood oxygen level.

The device was already beginning to surge in popularity as the public learned that people with the coronavirus often arrive at the hospital with abnormally low oxygen levels. After an op-ed piece in The New York Times on April 20 recommended that pulse oximeters be used to identify the sickest among COVID-19 patients and detect the frightening condition known as "silent hypoxia," sales of the devices skyrocketed. Right now, most are sold out in stores and online.

But questions and controversy have arisen around the at-home use of pulse oximeters, which painlessly measure heart rate and oxygen levels. It's not entirely clear if pulse oximeters can help detect a coronavirus infection or whether their widespread use can help curb the spread of COVID-19.

Whether you already have a pulse oximeter or you're thinking about buying one, here's what you need to know about what they do, how they work, what the results mean and how accurate they might be.

Pulse oximeters: Vital signs, at your fingertips

A pulse oximeter is a small medical device that measures heart rate and blood oxygen saturation. It's usually clipped to your finger, but it can also attach to your ear, nose, toe or forehead. Some are battery powered and provide real-time results on a small LED display on the device itself. Others connect with a wire to a separate vital sign monitor that records even more precise information about your heart rhythm, body temperature and blood pressure using other sensors connected to your body.

How pulse oximeters measure heart rate and oxygen

A pulse oximeter measures your blood oxygen saturation and heart rate by shining a light through your skin and detecting both the color and movement of your blood cells. Oxygenated blood cells are bright red, deoxygenated cells are dark red.

The pulse oximeter compares the number of bright red cells to dark red cells to calculate your oxygen saturation as a percentage. So, for example, a reading of 99% means only 1% of the blood cells in your bloodstream have been depleted of oxygen.

Every time your heart beats, it pushes your blood through your body in a quick pulse (which is why "pulse" is another word for "heart rate"). A pulse oximeter, using light, detects this movement and calculates your heart rate in beats per minute, or BPM.

What's a healthy oxygen level and heart rate?

According to the Mayo Clinic, a normal pulse oximeter oxygen level reading is between 95% and 100%, and anything less than 90% is considered dangerously low, or hypoxic. Some doctors have reported COVID-19 patients entering the hospital with oxygen levels at 50% or below.

A normal resting heart rate is between 60 and 100 BPM. Typically, lower is better, as a slower heart rate is usually an indication of a strong cardiovascular system.

Can a pulse oximeter detect COVID-19?

Not exactly. Although many doctors report that patients with COVID-19 are presenting with dangerously low blood oxygen levels, COVID-19 isn't the only disease that can cause such a problem. Chronic lung diseases, like COPD, asthma and other non-COVID-19 lung infections can also result in a low oxygen count.

A low oxygen reading by itself is not enough to diagnose COVID-19, but your doctor would want to know about it, especially if you notice the level decreasing over time. And if you've been diagnosed with COVID-19, your doctor may want you to monitor your oxygen level to determine whether your condition is worsening or improving.

How accurate are over-the-counter pulse oximeters?
Like with any electronic equipment, not all pulse oximeters are created equal. A 2016 study of low-cost pulse oximeters concluded several inexpensive consumer-grade devices provided highly inaccurate readings.

Some pulse oximeters have been cleared by the FDA, which means they should meet FDA standards for accuracy. Note that there is a distinction between "FDA-approved" and "FDA-cleared," with "cleared" being the less rigorous of the two. That said, Class II medical devices like pulse oximeters are usually "cleared" rather than "approved."

You can look for pulse oximeters on the FDA-cleared list by visiting the FDA's Premarket Notification website and searching for "pulse oximeter" in the Device Name field, with or without a manufacturer's name.

How much should I spend on a pulse oximeter?

In the 2016 study that found most low-cost pulse oximeters to be relatively inaccurate, "low-cost" was defined as costing less than $50. Pulse oximeters that have been cleared by the FDA tend to range in price from around $50 to $60 to well into the hundreds and even thousands of dollars.

Where can I buy a pulse oximeter?

You can still find pulse oximeters on sale online at Walmart, Amazon and eBay, but most of the name-brand devices you'll find on various best lists, like those at DigitalTrends, The Wirecutter and Consumer Reports, are either sold out completely or on backorder, with shipping estimates weeks or sometimes months away.

This week, the CDC added five more official COVID-19 symptoms for a total of seven, which are detailed here. However, symptoms, vital signs and statistics aren't the only way to track the pandemic: Memes and social media chatter are relevant data points, too. Depression and anxiety may not be symptoms of the disease itself, but as the pandemic continues, you're not the only one feeling down about it.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

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8 Natural Treatments for COPD

COPD is a term used to describe progressive lung diseases that include chronic bronchitis, non-reversible asthma, and emphysema that is characterized by increasing breathlessness. Symptoms of COPD include an increase in shortness of breath, wheezing, frequent coughing, and tightness in the chest. Although COPD is currently not curable, people can still enjoy many years of life with this disease.
Still, there are many natural remedies available to help decrease the devastation of COPD:

1. Consume ginger
Ginger helps to break down mucus, which, in turn, improves circulation to the lungs and reduces inflammation. Boil fresh ginger in water and strain out ginger, then drink it as a tea.

2. Ginseng
Ginseng has been shown to give some people relief from COPD symptoms and improve breathing.

3. Turmeric
Turmeric contains curcumin, which has many antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects.

4. Red sage
Red sage is an effective antioxidant and helps protect blood vessels from injury when oxygen is cut off and then resumed. People who have low blood oxygen levels can really benefit from using red sage.

5. Exercise
Exercising is difficult for those with COPD, however, studies have shown that exercise helps people with COPD improve their exercise tolerance. Not exercising can cause your muscles to lose their strength and make your overall health decline.

6. Mouth breathing
This technique for breathing helps you to slow down your breathing down and be calm. Mouth breathing should be performed before and after exercising, or alongside any activity that causes shortness of breath. To do this exercise, breathe in through your nose for roughly two seconds, pucker your lips, then breathe out two or three times as slow as you initially breathed in.

7. Diaphragm breathing
Another useful breathing technique is called diaphragm breathing, also known as abdominal breathing. The abdomen rises as you breathe in and lowers as you slowly breathe out. The diaphragm is the main muscle used for breathing. With COPD, the diaphragm doesn’t work nearly as well and needs to be trained. Taking on more breathing work can help take the pressure of breathing off of the shoulders, back, and neck.
Diaphragmatic breathing is not a simple technique to master, therefore, it is recommended that you get assistance from a health care professional or physical therapist trained in using it. This technique should be used when you’re relaxed and should be done when sitting or lying down. As you become used to this type of breathing, the feeling of shortness of breath will naturally decline, especially if you practice two or three times a day. You can gradually build up your ability to use this technique by trying it while sitting, then trying it while standing, and lastly, trying this technique while performing an activity. Diaphragmatic breathing helps with certain activities, such as climbing stairs, going on long walks, carrying, lifting, showering, daily activities, and when exercising.

8. COPD diet
Those with COPD should eat a minimum of 20 to 30 grams of fiber every day.
COPD is chronic and worsens over time, however, natural treatments for COPD offer an alternative to traditional medications such as inhalers, pulmonary rehabilitation, and oxygen therapy.

this is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     
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Intense light can protect cardiovascular health

Intense light amplifies a specific gene that bolsters blood vessels and offers protection against heart attacks, suggests a study. 

We already knew that intense light can protect against heart attacks, but now we've found the mechanism behind it, said the study's senior author.

Giving patients light therapy for a week before surgery could increase cardioprotection. Drugs could also be developed that offer similar protections based on these findings. However, further studies in humans will be necessary to understand the impact of intense light therapy and its potential for cardioprotection, the author said.

The scientists discovered that housing mice under intense light conditions for 1 week robustly enhances cardioprotection, which resulted in a dramatic reduction of cardiac tissue damage after a heart attack. They also found that humans could potentially benefit from a similar light exposure strategy.

In an effort to find out why they developed a strategy to protect the heart using intense light to target and manipulate the function of the PER2 gene which is expressed in a circadian pattern in the part of the brain that controls circadian rhythms.

By amplifying this gene through light, they found that it protected cardiovascular tissues against low oxygen conditions like myocardial ischemia, caused by reduced oxygen flow to the heart. They also discovered that the light increased cardiac adenosine a chemical that plays a role in blood flow regulation.

Mice that were blind, however, enjoyed no cardioprotection indicating a need for visual light perception.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                    PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/                                                                                                                                                FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                       https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/                                                                                                                     FOR CROCHET DESIGNS                                                                                                   

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Next, they investigated whether intense light had similar effects on healthy human volunteers. The subjects were exposed to 30 minutes of intense light measured in lumens. In this case, volunteers were exposed to 10,000 LUX or lumens, on 5 consecutive days. Researchers also did serial blood draws.

The light therapy increased PER2 levels as it did in mice. Plasma triglycerides, a surrogate for insulin sensitivity and carbohydrate metabolise,, significantly decreased. Overall, the therapy improved metabolism.

8 Warning Signs of a Blood Clot

Blood clotting is a normal process that the human body carries out in order to stop external bleeding. However, sometimes blood clots happen when they're not meant to, such as when it's still within your veins. When this occurs, blood clotting can become life-threatening. Internal clotting can be a cause of heart attacks, strokes, as well as other serious medical conditions. Fortunately, there are 8 common ways to notice if you're suffering from a blood clot:

1. Swelling in One Limb

One serious type of blood clot is deep vein thrombosis (DVT). When DVT occurs, oxygen is prevented from reaching your vital organs. This results in poor blood circulation, which ends up causing swelling. If one or more of your limbs is inexplicably swollen, it would be best to consult your doctor.

2. Leg Pain or Tenderness

People suffering from DVT also commonly experience leg pain or tenderness. In addition to making the limbs swell, DVT may also cause the legs to ache, be sore to the touch, or to cramp up.

3. Chest Pain and Heavy Breathing

Chest pain should never be ignored, and neither should heavy breathing. If both of these symptoms are experienced simultaneously, experts say that you could be suffering from a blood clot in the lungs. Such a clot can quickly turn fatal, so should you experience these symptoms, then stop whatever you're doing, and seek medical attention right away.

4. Shortness of Breath

Much like with heavy breathing, shortness of breath is never a symptom you should ignore. If you notice that you're finding it hard to breathe, have a racing heart, feel a fluttering sensation in your chest, or experience any dizziness, then you may be suffering from a clot in the lungs. These symptoms, particularly when experienced simultaneously, warrant immediate medical attention.

5. A Random Cough Without a Cold

If you aren't ill but are coughing for seemingly no reason, then look out for other potential signs of a blood clot. These include chest pain, shortness of breath, and a noticeably increased heart rate.

6. Red Streaks Along Your Veins

If you notice red streaks on your skin that run down much of the length of your veins, then you should contact your doctor immediately. While blood clots typically cause bruising, streaking is a sign of a more severe and potentially life-threatening concern. These streaks will also make your skin feel a lot warmer to the touch, which is another way of identifying a clot.

7. Severe, Chronic Headaches

If you are continually experiencing very painful headaches, whilst also having trouble speaking or seeing, then this may indicate a blood clot in your brain. Needless to say, this is extremely serious, and you should seek medical assistance immediately.

8. Vomiting or Diarrhea

Severe diarrhea and/or vomiting is never normal under any circumstances. However, if these symptoms keep persisting, then you should contact a medical professional, as they could indicate a blood clot in the abdominal region.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/                                                                                                                                                                             FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                                                             https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/                                                                                       FOR CROCHET DESIGNS                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com