What does your blood oxygen level show
Your blood oxygen level is a measure of how much oxygen your red blood cells carry. Your body tightly regulates the amount of oxygen in your blood. Maintaining a precise balance of blood oxygen saturation is essential to your health.
Most children and adults do not need to monitor their blood oxygen levels. In fact, unless you show signs of problems such as shortness of breath or chest pain, many doctors will not check it.
However, many people with chronic diseases need to monitor their blood oxygen levels. This includes asthma, heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
In these cases, monitoring your blood oxygen levels can help determine whether treatment is effective or whether it should be adjusted.
Read on to find out where the blood oxygen level should be, what symptoms you might experience if the blood oxygen level drops, and what will happen next.
Arterial blood gas
The arterial blood gas (ABG) test is a blood test. It can measure the oxygen content in the blood. It can also detect the level of other gases in the blood and pH (acid/base level). ABG is very accurate, but it is invasive.
To obtain an ABG measurement, your doctor will draw blood from an artery instead of a vein. Unlike veins, arteries have a pulse that can be felt. Moreover, the blood drawn from the artery is oxidized. Blood is not.
The artery on the wrist is used because it is easy to feel compared to other arteries in the body.
The wrist is a sensitive area that makes the blood there more uncomfortable than the veins near the elbow. Arteries are also deeper than veins, which increases discomfort
Where blood oxygen levels should drop
The amount of oxygen in the blood is called oxygen saturation. In medical shorthand, PaO 2 will be heard when blood gas is used, and O 2 sat (SpO2) will be heard when pulsed cow is used. These guidelines will help you understand what results might mean:
Normal: The normal ABG oxygen content of healthy lungs is between 80 mmHg and 100 mmHg. If the pulse cow measures your blood oxygen level (SpO2), the normal reading is usually between 95% and 100%.
However, in COPD or other lung diseases, these ranges may not be applicable. Your doctor will tell you what is normal for a particular situation. For example, it is not uncommon for people with severe COPD to maintain their pulse oxygen level (SpO2) between 88% and 92% trusted sources.
Lower than normal: Blood oxygen levels lower than normal are called hypoxemia. Hypoxemia often causes concern. The lower the oxygen content, the more severe the hypoxemia. This can cause complications in body tissues and organs.
Generally, PaO 2 readings below 80 mm Hg or pulse OX (SpO2) below 95% are considered low. It is important to understand your normal condition, especially if you have chronic lung disease.
Your doctor can advise you on the range of oxygen levels you can accept.
Above normal levels: If breathing is difficult, it is difficult to have too much oxygen. In most cases, people with supplemental oxygen will experience high oxygen levels. Can be detected on ABG.
Post time: Dec-28-2020