The Benefits of Using a Pulse Oximeter at Home
When it comes to managing respiratory conditions like asthma, COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) or even recovering from COVID-19, the last thing anyone wants is a surprise when it comes to their health.
Our bodies constantly give us signals about what’s going on inside, but sometimes those signals are subtle, and hard to notice until things get serious. You won’t have any of these issues if a pulse oximeter is lying around.
In simple terms, a pulse oximeter is a small, non-invasive device that measures the amount of oxygen in your blood. You clip it to your finger (or sometimes, your toe) and within a few seconds, it tells you your oxygen saturation level, which is basically how well oxygen is being carried by your red blood cells.
This device has a long list of benefits, but before we go into them, let’s discuss the dynamics of its operations:
How a Pulse Oximeter Works
A pulse oximeter works by shining two beams of light through your skin: one red and one infrared. It measures how much oxygen your blood is carrying. It’s a bit like checking your blood’s oxygen level.
A healthy reading is usually between 95% and 100%. This means your blood is doing a good job of getting oxygen to all your body parts.
For people with lung conditions like asthma or COPD, or even those recovering from illnesses like COVID-19, their oxygen levels can sometimes dip. A pulse oximeter helps them keep an eye on this, so they can take steps to improve their oxygen levels if needed.
Key Benefits of Using a Pulse Oximeter at Home
Here are the main perks you stand to enjoy when you have a pulse oximeter at home:
Instant Oxygen Check When You Need It Most
One of the best things about a pulse oximeter is that it gives you instant feedback. If you’re feeling short of breath or you’re worried about a potential flare-up of your asthma or COPD, you don’t have to wait for a doctor to tell you what’s going on. You can just check your oxygen levels right there and then, and make decisions on what to do next.
For instance, if you’re breathing hard but your oxygen level is still at 95% or higher, you might just need to calm down and take your time. But if it drops below 90%, it could mean you need to take action fast. You can start by either using your inhaler, taking extra medication, or even going to the hospital.
Managing Asthma, COPD, and COVID-19 at Home
If you’ve got a chronic condition like asthma or COPD, your oxygen levels can fluctuate throughout the day. They might dip when you’re physically active, stressed, or during a flare-up. If you have an oximeter handy, you can simply monitor how well your body is getting oxygen throughout the day.
For people recovering from COVID-19, monitoring oxygen levels is even more critical. With COVID, you might feel fine, but your oxygen levels could be dropping without you noticing.
This is called silent hypoxia, and it can be really dangerous because you don’t always feel the effects until it’s too late. But with a pulse oximeter, you can track your oxygen levels and see if you need extra help before things get really bad.
A Quick Check When You’re Worried
Anyone with a breathing condition knows that feeling of panic when you struggle to breathe. In reality, getting into panic mode is the fastest way to worsen your situation. All you need at this point is an oximeter to confirm or dispel your fears.
When you’re feeling anxious about your breathing, it can calm you down to see a number that tells you whether you’re actually in danger.
Knowing your oxygen saturation can prevent you from overreacting or, on the flip side, underreacting. It gives you clarity. It’s like a little guardian angel for your health basically, and this guardian’s main duty is to tell you whether you need to relax, or whether it’s time to act quickly.
Making Sure Your Treatments Are Working
Another big plus of having an oximeter at home is that it helps you see if your treatments are actually doing their job.
If you’ve got an inhaler, an asthma spacer, or any other treatment, you can use the pulse oximeter to see if your oxygen levels improve after you’ve used them. This can give you direct feedback on how well your treatments are working.
If your oxygen levels don’t go up after using your inhaler, it could mean that you need a different approach or that your treatment plan needs adjusting. In other words, it’s also a way of checking that you’re on the right track in terms of medication.
Keeping Track of Trends Over Time
One of the less obvious but incredibly useful benefits of having a pulse oximeter is that you can keep track of your oxygen levels over time. Over days, weeks, or months, you’ll start to notice patterns.
You might see that your oxygen levels dip when you’re exercising, when you’ve been under a lot of stress, or when you’ve got a cold.
The data you get from this tracking can be shared with your doctor. Your doctor will, in turn, use it to adjust your treatment plan and prevent issues before they get bad.
It’s Affordable and Easy to Use
A good pulse oximeter doesn’t cost an arm and a leg at all. Most of the reliable ones you’ll find online or at the pharmacy are pretty affordable; often less than $100. They’re simple to use, small enough to carry around, and don’t need any complicated setup.
Another thing is that they are designed to last for a long time, so you would actually get good value for your money.
For something that could literally save your life by alerting you to low oxygen levels, that’s a pretty small price to pay. You can even take it with you on trips or when you’re travelling, so you never have to worry about your oxygen levels when you’re away from home.
