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To achieve the best results, it is recommended to place the oximeter on your right hand’s middle finger.īefore using an oximeter, make sure your hand is warm, relaxed, and held in front of your chest, below the level of your heart. In some cases, it is also placed on the toe or earlobe. How can we use an oximeter at home?Īn oximeter is a user-friendly device, with a small clip that can be placed at the end of your finger. It is fast, simple and non-invasive (needle-free).ĭuring COVID-19 times, using an oximeter at home can help you check your blood oxygen levels and indicate when you need prompt medical attention.
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Blood with not enough oxygen tends to absorb more red light and lets more infrared light pass through it.
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Blood loaded with oxygen absorbs more infrared light and lets more red light pass through it. Absorption of these lights can differs significantly between blood loaded with oxygen and blood lacking of oxygen. The device works by shining 2 lights (one red light and one infrared light) through your fingertip.
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#Normal pulse oximeter reading portable
What is an oximeter?Īn oximeter is a portable device that can be used to check blood oxygen levels by looking at how much light is absorbed by your blood. Hypoxia, if not detected early, can cause serious damage to your major organs and lead to the disease worsening.Īpart from COVID-19, asthma, heart disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are some other conditions that can impact blood oxygen levels. This occurrence has recently been observed in large number of individuals diagnosed with COVID-19. Silent hypoxia occurs when a pulse oximetry test on a person with no symptoms of low blood oxygen, results in an oximetry reading that is lower than what is considered normal. But in some cases, you may show no symptoms. It can cause hypoxia (low oxygen in your tissues), which means not enough oxygen is making it to the cells in the body that need it.įatigue or shortness of breath, bluish colouring in the face and lips, restlessness, chest pain, and a rapid pulse rate are some typical symptoms of low blood oxygen in your body. Hypoxemia refers to the low level of oxygen in your blood. This is known as “silent pneumonia” and if left untreated, can lead to very serious consequences. Damage to the lungs can cause the oxygen in your blood to drop to dangerously low levels, even when you feel generally well, or present no other symptoms of the virus. When you’re exposed to COVID-19, your lungs are one of the major organs to be affected. Levels under 94% should be evaluated by a doctor, while levels below 90% are considered a clinical emergency and require immediate medical attention. The levels indicate how well your body distributes oxygen throughout the body and hence can give an indication of your general health.Īs per the World Health Organization’s definition, an oxygen level between 95 – 100% is normal. Blood oxygen levels – What’s normal?īlood oxygen level is the amount of oxygen your blood carries. In this article, we cover the significance of blood oxygen levels and other important facts you need to know about oximeters. Oximeters are devices that can help track your oxygen levels and detect cases with “silent pneumonia”, one of the most serious consequences of COVID-19. While you may be able to identify the more common symptoms of COVID-19, it has been reported that sometimes oxygen levels may start to drop even before any symptoms would appear. As such, we are encouraged to stay vigilant towards critical COVID-19 symptoms that may need immediate medical attention. While the vaccines give us hope, the emergence of new virus variants is a constant cause for concern. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed how we live and breathe.