CPR is commonly attributed to the act of pumping the heart of a victim of sudden cardiac arrest in the effort to resuscitate it. Most people do not know that pumping the heart is one of the ways of getting oxygen into the bloodstream and into the brain. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation does not necessary entail the restarting of the heart. The primary purpose of cardiopulmonary resuscitation is to deliver oxygen to the brain continuously.
Oxygen for the brain is fuel for the body’s engine. Without enough oxygen, the brain may experience symptoms such as memory loss, malfunctioning motor skills, lack of focus and decision-making skills, seizure, going comatose, inability to breath, and brain death. These symptoms all occur due to the lack of proper oxygen to keep the brain working properly. These symptoms lead to the disease called brain hypoxia.
Anyone is at risk of cutting off the brain’s supply of oxygen. Those who experience head trauma, or those who do activities that expose them to sustained low-oxygen environments are more susceptible to developing brain hypoxia, as well as those who have hypotension, ALS, or asthma. For victims of sudden cardiac arrests, brain hypoxia is a very common threat, saved only by proper administration of CPR by trained persons.
The brain functions thanks to the supply of glucose and oxygen allowing the nerve impulses to occur within the brain. This is a very energy consuming process hence the need for the continuous supply of glucose and oxygen. A minute without oxygen can cause the brain to shut down and cause small complications such as dizziness and loss of focus. The longer a person lacks the supply of oxygen in their brain, the more complications will arise. It is to say that for victims of cardiac arrest, loss of heart activity directly relates to lack of oxygen in the brain. CPR is the only way to sustain the supply of oxygen as it directly compresses and expands the heart, forcing blood through blood vessels just to deliver it to the brain.
To prevent brain hypoxia, the most important thing to do is to see a doctor on whether brain hypoxia is a threat to your health due to your activities or any unknown cause. Unexpected deprivation of oxygen is also a possible event, for example during a fire, immediately administering proper CPR will prevent the condition from getting worse fast.
The proper way of administering CPR is through consistent pumping of the chest cavity to make the heart compress and expand naturally. It is important to get the right amount of pressure, as too little will not make a difference, and too much may result in more internal injuries that could complicate things furthermore. For those who want to be prepared in the event that anyone in the vicinity would need immediate CPR treatment, going to training to hone your skill is a great option. Finding the right training program near you can help you become proficient in providing the necessary procedure for those experiencing sudden cardiac arrest and brain hypoxia.
