In the recent pandemic, where the whole world gets struck, there is a common term we all came across and that is oxygen level in blood. So what is blood oxygen level, simply, it is the amount of oxygen that is being circulated in a person’s bloodstream. This is not that important when a person prefers a normal check-up, but when someone is suffering from some chronic disease, blood oxygen levels play a vital role.
People with lung issues or breathing problems generally came across getting their blood oxygen levels checked more often.
What is normal and what is saturation?
According to various medical experts, a range of 75 to 100 mm Hg is considered a normal oxygen level in the blood. Blood is considered saturated with oxygen when its level is above 95% in the human body. For a body’s circulatory system like the lungs, heart, kidney, etc. The oxygen level is very crucial and must be maintained.
When should you consider checking your blood oxygen levels?
In simple routine checkups for kids and young people, doctors generally don’t go for a blood oxygen level test. But there are several conditions in which one should be completely required to get this checked at regular intervals. Blood oxygen levels should be checked:
- If a person is old and finds their breathing heavy,
- In the case of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- If there are some incidents of heart failure or uneasiness
- In case one has a history of hypertension
- If you are an asthmatic
- Or when having lung diseases like pulmonary or cystic fibrosis
Why do low blood oxygen levels occur?
Hypoxemia is a condition when the oxygen level in your blood is low. There are many symptoms through which we can understand it ourselves. During low oxygen levels in the blood, the person can feel headaches, have uneasiness in breathing with rapid heart rate, and skin getting a bluish tone. It can also happen for a short period which can cause acute respiratory failure.
The major cause of its occurrence is a pre-existing illness, that is creating effects on the blood flow or in the lungs.
There are certain medical conditions due to which hypoxemia prevails:
- Due to acute respiratory distress syndrome
- Asthma or anemia
- Congenital heart defects
- Congestive heart failure
- Due to pneumonia
- When there is air in the space around the lungs or Collapsed lung conditions
- If there is fluid in the lungs
- Due to some blood clots in the lungs
Cures:
Depending on the cause of the low oxygen level medication and other methods are considered by the doctors. If an individual reaches the severity of less oxygen, then oxygen cylinders are considered for them as a supplementary source of oxygen.
People who have lung disease are generally treated with inhalers with bronchodilators or some steroids.
If there are issues like liquid filling up in the lungs then medication is preferred to carry that out.
Breathing masks or portable devices are suggested for people on the go so they always have access to supplementary oxygen.
Why do high blood oxygen levels occur?
A high level of oxygen can be considered as an adverse effect of a low oxygen level. When a person is on supplementary oxygen, it can be a cause of negligence that they may inhale a lot of oxygen. This term is called oxygen toxicity or oxygen poisoning. High levels of oxygen create lung tissue damage. This condition is rare but most common when:
- Oxygen tanks are taken during scuba diving
- Taking hyperbaric oxygen therapy
- Breathing with a mechanical ventilator in hospitals.
Cures:
With a certain form of precautions, one can resist this condition. It can be prevented by lowering the oxygen content in the supplementary machines.
Keep the settings to the minimum while opting for oxygen therapy or adventurous sports.
While using a portable machine, keep track of its oxygen supply rates.
By considering some of these precautions, one can handle a situation like oxygen toxicity well.
How to keep track of your oxygen level?
Oxygen is carried in the bloodstream of the person and there are multiple ways one can get their oxygen level checked.
Pulse Oximeter:
This device helps in measuring the amount of oxygen in hemoglobin, which is a carrier of oxygen in the blood. This is an easy method that uses sensors in your fingers to get the ratings. If you have a person in your home whose blood oxygen level needs to be checked every day, then you can opt for this portable device.
Blood Gas Test:
This test is done professionally to know the accurate amount of O2 and CO2 content in the blood. This comprises 2 variants of the test.
One is the arterial blood gas test; in this, the sample is taken from a person’s wrist. The second one is the capillary blood gas test where the sample is taken from the earlobes.
LTOT Assessment:
LTOT refers to long-term oxygen assessment. This is carried out for people who are suffering from long-term chronic diseases or have lung and heart failure issues. This test is performed to check the blood oxygen level before carrying out oxygen therapy on an individual.
These are some tests that can help a person to know whether they have a low level of oxygen or are good to go as normal.
In today’s world, where most people are being attacked by chronic diseases due to lifestyle or any other factors, maintaining a normal blood oxygen level has become a criterion. It is an essential part of our immunity and for the better functioning of the circulatory system. By being responsible for our health, we can make some small changes in our lifestyle to avoid any such situations. For this one can quit smoking so that the life of the lungs remains intact. Include fruits, nuts, lean protein, and vegetables in your daily diet. Try to exercise for 10 min at least for better oxygen flow through your body systems.
