{"id":10302,"date":"2019-09-05T17:03:23","date_gmt":"2019-09-05T17:03:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/?p=10302"},"modified":"2021-06-28T16:35:37","modified_gmt":"2021-06-28T16:35:37","slug":"14-common-causes-of-agonal-breathing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/14-common-causes-of-agonal-breathing\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Common Causes of Agonal Breathing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Agonal breathing is sometimes also referred to as agonal respiration. It\u2019s the official medical term that doctors use to refer to the gasping that occurs during medical emergencies \u2014 such as instances of cardiac arrest. There are quite a few symptoms that could arise as a result. You might notice weakness limited to one side of your body. Other patients have suffered from slurred speech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are even instances where a sudden-onset headache accompanies agonal breathing. Quite a few medical conditions could lead to agonal breathing \u2014 and most of them require immediate treatment to avoid further complications or death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to learn about the conditions that cause agonal breathing then you\u2019re in luck because that\u2019s exactly what we\u2019re going to teach you in this article. Without further adieu, here are eight common causes of agonal breathing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Cardiac arrest<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The terms cardiac arrest<\/a> and \u201cheart attack\u201d are often used interchangeably. That being said, using the two terms synonymously is actually erroneous as these are two separate conditions. Heart attacks refer to a lack of blood flow to your heart while cardiac arrest is a condition in which the heart stops beating due to an electric problem. It\u2019s like the difference between a drain clog and a short-circuit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even after your heart stops, there\u2019ll still be some blood circulating around your organs such as the brain. This is why patients in cardiac arrest still manage to gasp for air for a few minutes even if their heart is no longer beating. Cardiac arrest is actually one of the most common causes of agonal breathing. The average survival rate for cardiac arrests is 10%. That being said, a third of all cardiac arrest victims who are helped by a bystander survive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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2. Hemorrhagic stroke<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The term stroke is used to refer to a lack \u2014 either partial or total \u2014 of blood flow to the brain. There are quite a few types of strokes and each of them can be potentially deadly. Hemorrhagic strokes specifically are strokes in which a blood vessel<\/a> in the brain ruptures thus cutting off the flow of blood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before you panic and worry that your brain is going to start bleeding tomorrow, try to keep in mind that only 13% of strokes are hemorrhagic with the majority being ischemic. Hemorrhagic strokes usually totally \u2014 or near-totally \u2014 cut off the supply of blood to your brain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is why it leads to agonal breathing. Your brain is doing everything it can to try to save your body, and gasping is a last-ditch effort to get more oxygen in the bloodstream and to the brain. 1 in 4 hemorrhagic stroke patients survive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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3. Ischemic stroke<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ischemic strokes<\/a> are another kind of stroke, and far more common than hemorrhagic strokes. In fact, they make up the vast majority of stroke cases. 87% of all stroke cases are ischemic according to statistics gathered. Unlike a hemorrhagic stroke that\u2019s caused by a rupture in one of your brain\u2019s blood vessels, an ischemic stroke is caused by a blockage or clog in the arteries that bring blood to your brain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The end result is the same with your brain not receiving the blood it needs to function properly. Seeing as your brain can\u2019t distinguish between hemorrhagic and ischemic strokes, it will cause agonal breathing in both cases. Fortunately, ischemic strokes are less fatal than hemorrhagic strokes with only around 10% of them being fatal, give or take two percent. Like any stroke, immediate treatment upon noticing the agonal breathing is essential to ensure survival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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4. Ministroke<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The official terms for ministrokes <\/a>are a transient ischemic attack. Seeing as ministrokes are easier to remember, it\u2019s the term dominantly used even by many medical professionals. You might think that ministrokes are less serious than other strokes, and while that could be true in some ways, it doesn\u2019t mean that you should ignore it as it can still lead to a wide array of adverse effects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ministrokes are nearly identical to ischemic strokes with the key difference being that the issue subsides within a day. This means that the agonal breathing will fade with it after a certain amount of time. Unlike ischemic strokes, no lasting damage is caused. That being said, the two have near-identical symptoms which is why you should seek medical attention in either case as you may actually be having an ischemic stroke rather than a ministroke and not even know it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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5. Hypotension<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Hypotension <\/a>is the official term used to describe extremely low blood pressure. It\u2019s the exact opposite of hypertension which is irregularly high blood pressure. If your blood pressure drops too low then your brain might not be getting enough blood to function properly. Bear in mind that your brain relies on steady blood flow to get oxygen and thus perform basic tasks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In severe cases of hypotension where not enough blood gets to your brain, you might notice agonal breathing. This is an attempt by your brain to get more oxygen. Agonal breathing is like the alarm bell that your body rings when something is seriously wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other symptoms of hypotension can include fatigue, nausea, and blurry vision. The patient may even suffer from loss of consciousness if the hypotension becomes too severe. It\u2019s essential that those suffering from an incident of hypotension get treated immediately to restore their normal blood pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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6. Carbon monoxide poisoning<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The threat that carbon monoxide poses to public health has gotten quite a lot of media coverage in the past years, and with good reason. Carbon monoxide<\/a> poisoning can lead to loss of consciousness, multiple organ failure, and death. Carbon monoxide is so dangerous because it\u2019s both colorless and odorless making it very difficult to detect without sophisticated machinery. It can be produced by fireplaces, heaters, portable generators, and car engines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even charcoal grills release carbon monoxide. When you inhale large volumes of carbon monoxide, it starts to replace the oxygen in your bloodstream. This lack of oxygen will then affect your brain leading to cerebral hypoxia. When the blood being carried to your brain only carries carbon monoxide instead of oxygen, you\u2019ll go into a state of agonal breathing as your brain tries to get more oxygen into the body. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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7. Drowning<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As you\u2019ve noticed with the other causes on this list, the primary cause of agonal breathing is the lack of oxygen to the brain. When does your brain get a lack of oxygen? When you\u2019re drowning. It\u2019s really easy to scream \u201cjust hold your breath\u201d when you see someone drowning, but that\u2019s easier said than done. As your brain gets less and less oxygen <\/a>supplied to it during the incident, it will inch closer to agonal breathing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the amount of oxygen in your brain becomes too little you\u2019ll finally go into a state of agonal breathing. This gasping will be uncontrollable and thus you\u2019ll likely end up inhaling large amounts of water. The agonal breathing reflex of the human body is part of why drowning is so dangerous. If drowning patients have no pulse then performing CPR while waiting for paramedics to arrive is the best treatment option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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8. Asthma<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Asthma <\/a>is categorized as an inflammatory disease and it primarily affects the airways that lead to your lungs. There are approximately 27 million people who suffer from asthma in the United States alone based on data gathered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. When someone has an asthma attack, the tissues in their airway starts to swell, reducing the amount of air that can get in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the airflow is reduced due to an asthma attack, all your organs \u2014 including the brain \u2014 will get less oxygen. If your brain isn\u2019t getting enough oxygen due to the asthma attack then agonal breathing will ensue. This is why asthma patients never leave home without an inhaler as it can be very hard to think logically during an attack, especially once agonal breathing ensues. Wheezing can be an early warning sign of an asthma attack, providing time to find an inhaler.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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