What's respiratory failure?
Respiration means breathing. So respiratory failure is when your breathing isn't adequate.
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You breathe in (inhale) to get oxygen from the air into your blood
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You breathe out (exhale) to get rid of carbon dioxide from your blood
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Any problem that slows or blocks your breathing can cause respiratory failure
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Your blood may have too little oxygen, too much carbon dioxide, or both
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Doctors treat the cause of respiratory failure
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You often need extra oxygen and sometimes a ventilator (breathing machine)
What causes respiratory failure?
Different types of problems can cause respiratory failure:
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Blocked airflow: Asthma, COPD, sleep apnea
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Weak breathing: Drug overdose, stroke, myasthenia gravis
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Clogged lungs: Heart failure, pneumonia, ARDS
What are the symptoms of respiratory failure?
How do doctors know I have respiratory failure?
How do doctors treat respiratory failure?
You'll need to be in an intensive care unit (ICU). An ICU is an area in the hospital for people who are seriously ill. Doctors will treat the problem that caused respiratory failure and may:
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Give you extra oxygen
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Put you on a ventilator
