Have you ever wondered how well your body is supplied with oxygen? With a pulse oximeter, you can quickly and painlessly determine your arterial oxygen saturation.
Oxygen is vital, as it is essential for energy production in our cells. Our body needs oxygen to function optimally - whether it's for breathing, cellular respiration, or other vital processes. Oxygen enters the bloodstream through the lungs and is transported to the cells by red blood cells. An optimal oxygen content in the blood is therefore crucial for our health and well-being.
The human organism requires approximately 400 l of oxygen (O2) daily. To transport this amount of oxygen, a "transport substance" is required, haemoglobin. The haemoglobin contained in the red blood cells stores the oxygen. The organs are thus supplied with oxygen via the bloodstream. The oxygen saturation, (SaO2), indicates what percentage of the haemoglobin in the blood is saturated with oxygen. In healthy people, oxygen saturation is in the range of about 90% to 98%.
Classification of oxygen supply:
Any acute changes in oxygen saturation, especially when values fall below 90%, must be checked by a doctor without delay. Early detection with the pulse oximeter can save valuable time here.
Thanks to a modern measuring method - pulse oximetry, oxygen saturation can be measured without taking blood. A pulse oximeter allows for a quick and painless measurement of arterial oxygen saturation and pulse. An oxygen deficiency can thus be detected and treated directly.
A further method for determining oxygen saturation is blood analysis. This is usually done in the laboratory and requires a blood sample. This method is most commonly used in clinical environments to obtain detailed information about the oxygen content in the blood. In addition, the colour of the blood allows conclusions to be drawn about the oxygen saturation:
Bright red: high oxygen saturation
Dark red: low oxygen saturation
While blood analysis is very precise, it is also more invasive and requires professional execution.
The pulse oximeter uses two beams of light of different wavelengths to measure the oxygen content in the blood. These beams hit the finger that is inserted into the device. The blood in the vessels then absorbs part of the light, depending on its oxygen content. Once the light returns to the pulse oximeter, the device can calculate the amount of oxygen in the blood.
When blood moves through the finger during the heartbeat, the heart rate can also be measured based on the light intensity. The pulse rate indicates the number of heartbeats per minute. A normal resting pulse in adults is between 60 and 80 beats per minute. If the pulse is higher or lower than this value, it can be a sign of a disease.
Pulse oximeters are used in various situations where it is necessary to monitor the oxygen content in the blood and heart rate.
While doctors and emergency doctors prescribe and administer drugs based on the oxygen content, the pulse oximeter is used for care and health monitoring at home.
A large number of people suffer from chronic or acute respiratory diseases. These diseases include, for example, bronchial asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD), pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary emphysema (overinflation of the pulmonary vesicles) and pulmonary oedema. All these diseases require medical care. In this patient group, the measurement of oxygen saturation in the blood plays an important role, as it can provide information about an impairment of the body's oxygen supply.
In people with Long Covid and sleep apnoea, monitoring the oxygen content with a pulse oximeter can be useful. In addition, in all patients with advanced heart failure (heart insufficiency), the measurement of arterial oxygen saturation is of utmost importance.
For healthy people, the use of a pulse oximeter is useful in situations where the oxygen content of the ambient air is or may be reduced. This is especially the case during stays at high altitudes and trip to high mountain areas for alpine and aviation sports. Here, the reduced oxygen saturation can directly lead to a health-threatening risk. At high altitudes, oxygen saturation must be interpreted differently. In high-altitude areas of about 1600 meters above sea level, for example, an oxygen saturation of 92% to 94% is normal.
The Beurer pulse oximeters are perfect for patients at risk as well as for athletes. The products are small, light and fit in any pocket.
Low oxygen saturation in the blood, also known as hypoxaemia, can cause various problems. It is important to note that the severity of symptoms depends on the degree of hypoxaemia.
Possible symptoms of low oxygen saturation include:
Beurer Healthguide
This advice page was made by Beurer GmbH and is intended to help you feel healthy and happy all round.
The content of the Healthguide is intended to provide assistance and information and can in no way replace the advice of a doctor.
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