Many people find that they need to monitor their blood oxygen level at some point in their life. This may be because they have a heart that is damaged or they may have a lung problem, or any number of other issues that might cause this monitoring to be necessary. If your doctor has warned you that this is something you should be doing, you will probably want to look around at the various pulse oximeters for sale online or in shops. We will explain a bit about why this is necessary and what you want to look for, and why you might want to avoid a cheap pulse oximeter.
Monitoring your blood’s oxygen level is simple with an oximeter. You simply slide the little device onto the end of your finger and it takes a reading. What it is telling you is what percent of your blood is carrying oxygen. If your lungs and heart are working together as they should, you should approach 100% saturation. What this means is that none of the blood cells are traveling through your arteries without carrying any oxygen. However, if your doctor has warned you to keep an eye on this, it is probably because your body has a problem keeping up with oxygen need, or perhaps it can’t pick up its production and distribution of oxygen to compensate for any additional load. For example, a normal person may go for a short run. Their body will need more oxygen, so their heart rate will speed up and they will breathe more deeply, and perhaps their breathing will also be faster. However, if your heart CAN’T beat any faster, then you may not be able to provide your body with the oxygen it needs. Using an oximeter can help you to make sure that the blood that IS moving through your veins is at least carrying oxygen as it should. Monitors that are not FDA approved may not be as accurate as other models, so you may wish to stay away from the cheapest models.