IUBio

Oxygen therapy [was Migraine question]

Richard Norman rsnorman at mediaone.net
Fri Feb 16 16:56:16 EST 2001


I still don't get the mechanism.   That is, the mechanism between
breathing O2 and blood pCO2.  I do understand the relation between
pCO2 and circulatory response.

Certainly hyperventilating lowers blood pCO2.  But considering air
has such a low pCO2 already, breathing pure O2 shouldn't really
make a difference.  Or is it that breathing anything "different"
produces hyperventilation?


"Andrew T. Austin" <slightlynervous at NOSPAMbtinternet.com> wrote in message
news:96k4pt$rv11 at eccws12.dearborn.ford.com...
> The effect (vaso-dilation/constriction) is not in response to the oxygen
> percentage, but in fact related to the relative levels of carbon dioxide.
>
> Breathing in extra levels of oxygen or hyperventilating will lower the
> relative levels of CO2 and result in vaso-constriction.
>
> Regards,
> Andrew "remember to breathe" Austin.
>
> Richard Norman <rsnorman at mediaone.net> wrote in message
> news:4daj6.2595$AP1.282851 at typhoon.mw.mediaone.net...
> > <et_al at my-deja.com> wrote in message
> >
> > Given that arterial blood is normally saturated with oxygen, could
> > someone please explain a mechanism by which breathing more
> > oxygen could possibly make a difference? Is there really a
> > difference between 94% saturated and 98% saturated?
> >
> > I am not saying it doesn't work -- I'd just like to know why.

> news:3a8c9cc4 at duster.adelaide.on.net...
> > > On Mon, 12 Feb 2001 16:10:06 +0100, "Klein" <chklein at gmx.de> wrote:
> > >
> > > >High flow oxygen is the treatment of choice for so-called cluster
> > headaches,
> > > >a condition of very intense, unilateral pain acoompanied by runny
> eye(s)
> > and
> > > >a runny nose. Rather rare form of headache. The mechanism of action
of
> > this
> > > >treatment is unknown, but it works.
> > > >Greetings
> > > >C.
> > >
> > > Oxygen is also an effective hangover "cure," IME
> > > Ian
> > >








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