hypoxia

American  

[hahy-pok-see-uh] / haɪˈpɒk si ə /

noun

1. Biology. a very low level of oxygen, as in an organic environment.

   The fish have developed a tolerance to the hypoxia of the swamp.

2. Pathology. an abnormally low amount of oxygen in the body tissues.

   Premature newborns are routinely placed in incubators to treat or prevent hypoxia.

---

hypoxia British  

/ haɪˈpɒksɪə, haɪˈpɒksɪk /

noun

1. deficiency in the amount of oxygen delivered to the body tissues

---

Other Word Forms

• hypoxic adjective

Etymology

Origin of hypoxia

First recorded in 1940–45; hyp- ( def. ) + oxy- ² ( def. ) + -ia ( def. )

Compare meaning

How does hypoxia compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• hypoxia vs. hypoxemia
• hypoxia vs. anoxia
• hypoxia vs. ischemia

Example Sentences

"She was in a critical condition, she was showing signs of hypoxia or oxygen deficiency. She had been bitten by insects and also some animal," Dr Kumar said.

From BBC

“Emergency room doctors discovered the boy had extremely low blood sugar levels and suffered from hypoxia and constant seizures.”

From Los Angeles Times

Some researchers say xenon increases production of a protein called erythropoietin that fights hypoxia, a condition that occurs when the body can't get enough oxygen.

From BBC

The jet returned to Manchester, with no injuries reported, but investigators said it was likely those on board "were exposed to a progressive hypoxia risk".

From BBC

The scientists note that climate change and pollution are combining to force marine ecosystems to experience unprecedented stressors including harmful algal blooms, ocean acidification and hypoxia.

From Science Daily