Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors.
Oxygen saturation, or "O2 sats," indicates that amount of oxygen traveling through your body with your red blood cells. Any level below this is concerning and in need of immediate medical attention, since it means your organs, tissues, and cells aren't getting the oxygen they need to function properly.
This article covers several conditions that affect the amount of oxygen in your blood and the complications that can result from having low oxygen saturation. It will also touch on how to measure blood oxygen, as well as treatments for low levels. Understanding how blood is saturated with oxygen begins with the alveoli , or air sacs.
There are millions of these microscopic air sacs in the lungs. They serve an important function: to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide molecules to and from the bloodstream. When oxygen molecules pass through the alveoli, they bind to hemoglobin —a substance in the blood.
As the hemoglobin circulates, oxygen essentially hitches a ride and gets dropped off to the body's tissues. With this, hemoglobin picks up carbon dioxide from the tissues and transports it back to the alveoli so the cycle can begin all over again.
The level of oxygen in your blood depends on several key factors:. Most of the time, hemoglobin contains enough oxygen to meet the body's needs. But some diseases reduce its ability to bind to oxygen. Each one of your blood cells contains around million molecules of hemoglobin.
But any condition that limits your body's ability to produce red blood cells can result in low hemoglobin levels, which limits the amount of oxygen that can saturate your blood. Blood disorders, problems with circulation, and lung issues may prevent your body from absorbing or transporting enough oxygen. In turn, that can lower your blood's oxygen saturation level. Examples of conditions that can affect your oxygen saturation include:.
Oxygen saturation is usually measured one of two ways: arterial blood gas test ABG or Sa02 and pulse oximetry Sp ABG is usually only done in a hospital setting, while pulse oximetry is done in a variety of healthcare settings, including your healthcare provider's office.
An ABG value refers to the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in blood running through your veins. With hypercapnia, it is difficult for the pulse oximeter to differentiate oxygen in the blood from carbon monoxide caused by smoking.
Additionally, oxygen saturation levels may decrease slightly when a person is talking. Oxygen saturation may remain normal e. Pulse oximetry results may not be as accurate for people with darker skin. Their oxygen levels are sometimes reported as higher than they really are. People who check their own oxygen levels, or those who check it for them, should keep this in mind when looking at results.
Bime recommends them for many of his patients with chronic diseases. Some of the latest wearable fitness devices can also measure your blood oxygen level—the Apple Watch Series 6 and certain Fitbit and Garmin devices track it through your wrist, and the Wellue Continuous Ring Oximeter takes readings from your finger. They can be okay, with caveats. If you notice low oxygen levels on a fitness tracker, contact your healthcare provider for an evaluation. Bime still recommends getting evaluated by your doctor.
By Stephanie Thurrott , Contributing Writer. Oct 22, Teach Me.
0コメント