HYPOXIA

Oxygen deficiency in the blood, cells, or tissues of the body in such degree as to cause psycological and physiological disturbances. Hypoxia may result from a scarcity of oxygen in the air being breathed, or from an inability of the body tissues to absorb oxygen under conditions of low ambient pressure. In the latter case, water vapors from body fluids increase in the sacs of the lungs, crowding out the oxygen.