When Excessive Oxygen Becomes Deadly Poison
By tendai keith guvamombe
We all know oxygen is vital for life, the very breath we take to survive. But what if the air we breathe, particularly in higher concentrations, could silently turn against us?
The reality is that excessive oxygen, a condition known as hyperoxia, can be just as deadly as a lack of it, causing severe damage to our bodies, particularly our lungs and nervous system.
Imagine the delicate air sacs in your lungs, the alveoli, responsible for transferring oxygen into your blood. Now, picture them collapsing.
This is a terrifying reality of pulmonary oxygen toxicity. Extended exposure to oxygen partial pressures above normal, or even shorter periods at very high pressures, can trigger a destructive process.
The culprit? An overwhelming production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), often called free radicals. These highly reactive molecules, usually kept in check by the body’s natural antioxidants, go into overdrive when oxygen levels are too high. They launch an assault on cell membranes, including those lining the alveoli.
This oxidative damage isn’t minor. It cripples the cells and inactivates surfactant, a crucial substance that keeps our air sacs open.
The result is a cascade of detrimental effects: inflammation, fluid accumulation in the lungs (pulmonary edema), and eventually, the collapse of the alveoli itself (atelectasis).
This severe impairment can manifest within a mere 24 hours of breathing pure oxygen. Ultimately, the lungs fail to perform their life-sustaining function, leading to acute respiratory failure and, tragically, death due to the body’s inability to get the oxygen it needs.
Beyond the lungs, the central nervous system isn’t spared. High oxygen pressures can induce CNS oxygen toxicity, leading to symptoms as severe as generalized convulsions.
For divers, this is an extreme hazard, potentially causing drowning. Even on land, prolonged seizures can result in irreversible brain injury and the failure of vital bodily functions.
While oxygen is the essence of life, its delicate balance is paramount. Too much of a good thing, in this case, can indeed be a silent, deadly killer.
