Measuring blood oxygen levels in your body is critical to ensuring you’re as healthy as you should be. Having good blood oxygen levels means there’s enough oxygen flowing in your red blood cells. A desaturation or a detrimental drop in levels can cause you to become unwell, risking severe or fatal harm.
A blood oxygen level test measures the amount of oxygen in your blood. Generally, a below-normal level of oxygen result can translate to various health problems needing treatment or care. Read on for the most necessary reasons to check your blood oxygen levels.
Quick Fatigue
A human being constantly inhales oxygen and exhales carbon dioxide. The improper exchange of these gases can cause your body to get less oxygen than required. As a result, the individual will suffer low blood oxygen levels, which leads to hastened physical tiredness.
Difficulty Breathing
If you’re having trouble breathing, you may want to use a pulse oximeter device to evaluate your current blood oxygen levels. A drop of oxygen saturation in your blood may be causing your breathing issues, meaning you need supplementary oxygen.
Nausea or Vomiting
If you often face bouts of nausea or feel the need to vomit, you may suffer from a condition called cyanosis, which can also turn your skin and nail beds bluish. This condition is among the most common signs of low blood oxygen, and it’s one of the main reasons to check your blood oxygen levels.
You’re Receiving Lung Disease Treatment or Oxygen Therapy
If you’re being treated for cystic fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or asthma, you can take a blood oxygen level test to make sure the treatment is effective. Furthermore, regularly using a blood oxygen level test can help you make sure you’re receiving the right amount of oxygen during oxygen therapy. Your treatment should always increase and correctly deliver oxygen to your blood.
Head or Neck Injury
If you’ve recently endured a head or neck injury, you should ensure the injury isn’t affecting your blood oxygen levels through a pulse oximetry test. And even if it is, you can treat it as soon as you know to prevent further health problems.
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Carbon monoxide poisoning decreases the total oxygen content of the blood. Using a pulse oximeter to check your levels is key for ensuring the correct measurement of fractional oxyhemoglobin. This calculation is crucial to evaluating your blood’s oxygen-carrying capacity.
All things considered, measuring your blood oxygen levels provides key insights into your body’s response to activities, supplemental oxygen, underlying illnesses, and more. The above situations call for the use of pulse oximetry testing to help you make critical and confident treatment choices.
