Blood oxygen level is a very important thing to monitor. There are many reasons for monitoring blood oxygen levels, including environmental hypoxia, heart and lung diseases, carbon monoxide poisoning, asthma, altitude sickness and more.
The body constantly monitors oxygen levels in the blood to keep it within a certain range, so that the needs of each cell can be met. When oxygen levels are too low, signaling molecules send instructions throughout the body that direct heart rate and breathing rate to increase.
High oxygen levels can also trigger these instructions. The sensors that monitor blood oxygen levels are located in tiny structures called arteries of the lungs (the alveoli) and in tissues in another part of the lung known as the pulmonary capillary.
Most people are aware of the level of oxygen in their blood, measured as a percentage, but few people are aware that this blood oxygen reading can be critical for your health and well-being. The following article will discuss what blood oxygen levels you should have (how much is too little, and how much is too much) and why it’s so important for your physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
Normal and low blood oxygen levels
The normal range for a healthy blood oxygen level, or oxygen saturation (SaO2), is between 75 and 100 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). SaO2 testing measures the amount of hemoglobin in your blood that is bound to oxygen. As you breathe, you obtain oxygen from the air. Through your bloodstream, the brain, heart, and other organs use the oxygen to produce energy. Hemoglobin carries the oxygen from your lungs to these organs.
When hemoglobin binds with oxygen, it becomes oxyhemoglobin. A low SaO2 could be due to a number of underlying medical conditions, such as lung disease, sleep apnea, or heart disease. This test can help diagnose these conditions and any underlying issues they may cause regarding low blood oxygen levels.
Hypoxemia is a term that means low blood oxygen levels. The prefix “hypo” usually refers to something below normal, as in hypothermia, which is low body temperature; however, oxygen is not measured in degrees and cannot be quantified in definitive terms. Since there are no absolute measurements for amounts of oxygen in the blood, low numbers aren’t used. Instead, the amount of oxygen present is referenced based on the average amount of oxygen in a person’s bloodstream at any given time.
Oxygen saturation
When the pulse oximeter is attached to your finger, a green light will shine down on your fingertip. While the device measures your oxygen level, a red light will flash in time with your heartbeat. If you are measuring a child’s saturation levels, their movements may affect the accuracy of the test results. While this can be a problem, there are ways to prevent it from happening.
A person’s oxygen saturation level refers to the amount of hemoglobin in their blood that is carrying oxygen. A healthy oxygen saturation level ranges between 95% and 100%, however, some medical conditions can cause this percentage to drop. An oxygen saturation level of less than 90% indicates low levels of oxygen in the blood, which can lead to feelings of breathlessness and other medical issues such as confusion and a rapid heart rate.
How is blood oxygen level measured?
When ABG testing, it’s important to monitor while applying oxygen. Why? First, the blood sample is taken from an artery. This means more blood than usual is being withdrawn. Second, the artery carries blood that doesn’t have as much oxygen in it as the blood carried by veins. With less oxygen in the blood, a larger amount of oxygen is needed to keep your patient properly medicated.
Patients who are admitted in hospital usually undergo blood tests known as blood gas test, or ABG test. The blood is sent to a laboratory where a specialized machine conducts the test to determine the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the patient’s blood.
The pulse oximeter will help to determine whether your patient’s blood is able to carry enough oxygen for it to be used by the body’s cells. Remember that the normal range for blood oxygen saturation depends on age and health, and a reading from 95-100% is acceptable in most situations.
Outlook
Oxygen is essential to all of the body’s organs and tissues. As low blood oxygen levels are a symptom of many conditions, any underlying condition is generally treated in order to improve blood oxygen levels and lower the risk of complications.
If you are suffering from long-term illness such as chronic heart or lung disease, then you need to be aware of COVID-19. COVID-19 is a surgical device used to monitor the amount of oxygen in your blood and it is now considered an essential equipment in hospitals.Improving your oxygen could lead to a healthier lifestyle. A person with blood oxygen level 80 can raise those levels while simultaneously improving their overall health. The improvements in health will help them live longer and reduce the chance of illness during this time.