High or Hypoxic?
Smoke a joint and you will experience some or all of the following. Flushed skin, drowsiness or inability to focus, feeling disoriented or dizzy, feeling short of breath, being abnormally tired or exhausted.
Smoke two joints or have too much of an edible and you might find yourself experiencing some of the following in addition to the above. Feelings of confusion, paranoia or depression, abnormal muscle twitching(trembling), irregular heartbeat, hyperventilation, seizures, panic attack and passing out.
Good times, good times. Sleep it off Rookie…8)
However, if you are experiencing the above without the herb CALL 911. You have symptoms of hypoxia.
Further Reading
Hypoxic Hypoxia: This is the form we’ve talked most about in the Respiratory section. In this form of hypoxia, the PaO2 is below normal because either the alveolar PO2 is reduced (e.g environmental reasons such as altitude) or the blood is unable to equilibrate fully with the alveolar air (e.g. as would occur in lung diseases with diffusion impairments such as emphysema or fibrosis).
Anemic Hypoxia: In this form of hypoxia, the lungs are in perfect working condition, but the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood has been reduced. As the name implies, anemia is a very effective way of producing anemic hypoxia. Carbon Monoxide produces anemic hypoxia – because it binds to the Hb with such high affinity, preventing oxygen from binding, it reduces the oxygen carrying-capacity of the blood. The tissues do not get sufficient oxygen to maintain their metabolic needs because the blood is not carrying it.
Histotoxic Hypoxia: Histotoxic literally means that the cells have been poisoned. In this form of hypoxia, there is no problem getting the oxygen to the tissue – the lungs, blood and circulatory system are all working just fine. However, the tissue is unable to use the oxygen. Even though there is plenty of oxygen there, the cells experience a lack of oxygen and are affected as if there was too little/no oxygen available.
Circulatory Hypoxia: In this form of hypoxia the lungs are working just fine and the blood can carry sufficient oxygen. However, the tissue is not receiving sufficient oxygen because the heart cannot pump the blood to the tissue (or the arteries leading to the tissue have been blocked by clots etc…). Sickle cell anemia can lead to circulatory hypoxia as the cells sickle in the blood vessels and block them. (Yes – It also produces an anemic hypoxia as the sickled blood cells are removed from circulation.)