Respiration Under Stress

Question 1

Acute effects of hypoxia

Answer 1

12000ft - Drowsiness, mental and muscle fatigue, headache, nausea, euphoria.
18000ft - Twitching, seizures.
23000ft - Coma, death.

Question 2

“Death zone”

Answer 2

Starting at 26000ft, loss of physiological functioning and/or wrong decisions from decreased mental capacity.

Question 3

Acute cerebral edema

Answer 3

Local vasodilation of cerebral blood vessels - increased capillary pressure begins to leak into cerebral tissues.

Question 4

Acute pulmonary edema

Answer 4

Arterioles constrict asymmetrically. More blood pumps through fewer unconstructed vessels increase capillary pressure - leads to fluid leakage and local edema.

Question 5

Acclimitisation to hypoxia at high altitudes

Answer 5

1. peripheral chemoreceptors stimulate ventilation
2. erythropoietin increases ethryrocyte and Hb concentrations in blood.
3. DPG increases, Hb-O2 curve shifts right.
4. Increased capillary density, mitochondria, and muscular myoglobin.
5. peripheral chemoreceptors stimulate loss of Na and H2O to increase RBC concentration in the blood.

Question 6

Air pollution on human health

Answer 6

Raises risk of dementia, type 2 diabetes. Can reach the fetal side of the placenta.

Question 7

Early effects of pollution on respiratory health

Answer 7

Postnatal decrease in lung health
Increase in respiratory tract infections
Pneumonia
Bronchiolitis
Allergic symptoms

Question 8

Effects of pollution on adult respiratory health

Answer 8

Exacerbations of COPD and asthma
Sinusitis and otitis media
Cough development
Shortness of breath
Lung cancer

Question 9

Overall environmental effects of climate change

Answer 9

Increased temperature
Altered distributions of allergens and infectious disease vectors
Increased drought conditions
Increased wildfires

Question 10

Wildfires on human health

Answer 10

Decreases air quality over great distances

Question 11

Asphyxiants

Answer 11

Induce hypoxia by displacing oxygen

Question 12

Respiratory irritants

Answer 12

Produce hypoxia by causing tracheobronchitis, upper airway obstruction, pneumonia.
- ammonia, aldehyde, sulfur dioxide

Question 13

Systemic toxins

Answer 13

Cause inhalation injury
- particulate matter

Question 14

Chronic issues being at high altitudes

Answer 14

RBC mass and hematocrit increases, increasing blood viscosity which in turn decreases blood flow.
Pulmonary arterial pressure elevates
Right heart enlarges and fails
Congestive heart failure