The percentage of oxygen-saturated hemoglobin in relation to the total amount of hemoglobin (unsaturated + saturated) in the blood is known as oxygen saturation. The level of oxygen in the blood must be precisely balanced and regulated by the human body. Humans typically have arterial blood oxygen saturation values between 97 and 100 percent. It is low and referred to as hypoxemia if the level is under 90%. Low arterial blood oxygen levels can impair the function of several organs, including the heart and brain, and should be treated right away. Respiratory or cardiac arrest may result from persistently low oxygen levels. Blood oxygen levels can be increased with the use of oxygen treatment. When oxygen molecules (O2) reach the body's tissues, oxygenation takes place. For example, blood is oxygenated in the lungs, where oxygen molecules travel from the air and into the blood. Oxygenation is commonly used to refer to medical oxygen saturation.
The amount of oxygen in your blood is determined by your oxygen saturation level. To function, your organs and tissues require oxygen. In order to go where it needs to go in your body, oxygen may "hitch a ride" on your red blood cells and travel through the bloodstream. A typical oxygen saturation level for the majority of healthy persons is between 95% and 100%. Your body needs medical treatment if your "O2 sat" level falls below this range since it indicates that it isn't getting enough oxygen.
How the Blood Oxygenates
Alveoli, or lung air sacs, are important to grasp if you want to comprehend how blood becomes oxygen-saturated. The lungs contain millions of these tiny air sacs. They move molecules of oxygen and carbon dioxide into and out of the circulation.Hemoglobin in the blood binds to oxygen molecules as they move through the alveoli. As the hemoglobin circulates, oxygen "hitch-hikes" along with it until it is released into the body's tissues. Hemoglobin then carries carbon dioxide back to the alveoli by absorbing it from the tissues. Once there, the cycle may start anew from scratch.
Your blood's oxygen content relies on a number of variables, including:
Your oxygen intake How effectively your alveoli convert carbon dioxide to oxygen
What percentage of hemoglobin is included in red blood cells?
How effectively hemoglobin draws oxygen
Hemoglobin typically has sufficient oxygen to suit the body's requirements. But some conditions weaken hemoglobin's capacity to bind oxygen.Around 270 million hemoglobin molecules are found in each of your blood cells.4 Any health issue that interferes with your body's capacity to make red blood cells can lead to low hemoglobin levels, which in turn restricts the quantity of oxygen that can saturate your blood.
The Factors Affecting Oxygen Saturation
Your body may not be able to absorb or transfer enough oxygen if you have blood diseases, circulatory abnormalities, or lung problems. When this occurs, your blood's oxygen saturation level may decrease.
Conditions like these can have an impact on your oxygen saturation:
respiratory infections, such as the flu, the common cold, and COVID-19: Your capacity to breathe will be impacted by any ailment that reduces how much oxygen you consume.
A collection of long-term lung conditions known collectively as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) make breathing challenging.
Asthma: A persistent lung condition that narrows the airways
Pneumothorax: A lung that has completely or partially collapsed
Not having enough healthy red blood cells is known as anemia.
A set of illnesses that impact how the heart works are referred to as heart disease.
The condition known as pulmonary embolism occurs when a blood clot blocks a lung artery.
birth defects in the heart's structure are referred to as congenital heart defects.
How to Measure Your Blood Oxygen Levels
Pulse oximetry or an arterial blood gas test (ABG or Sa02) are the two methods used to determine oxygen saturation (Sp02).
ABG
While pulse oximetry can be performed in various healthcare facilities (like a doctor's office) and even at home, ABG is typically only performed in a hospital.The amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood coursing through your veins is known as an ABG value.An artery, such as the femoral artery in the groin or the radial artery in the wrist, is drawn blood from during an ABG. The sample is instantly examined in a lab or by a machine.Your ABG value can give your healthcare provider a sense of how efficiently the hemoglobin in your blood exchanges oxygen and carbon dioxide.
Pulse Oximetry
According to a pulse oximetry reading, arterial blood has a certain amount of oxygen.
The ABG test uses a needle, whereas pulse oximetry does not (non-invasive). Instead, a sensor is used to read the blood's reflected wavelengths. The probe is fastened to a bodily part, such as your finger, earlobe, or another location. In just a few seconds, a pulse oximeter can display the data on a screen.
Wearable pulse oximetry devices can be used to check a person's oxygen saturation levels; certain smartwatches even offer this capability. A pulse oximetry gadget is also available at your neighborhood drugstore or online.
| Oxygen Saturation Levels | ||
| Reading | ABG Level | O Sat Result |
| Below Normal | < 80 mm Hg | < 95% |
| Normal | > 80 mm Hg | 95% to 100% |
Knowing what the results on a pulse oximeter represent is crucial when using one at home. What effect do safe, normal, and low blood oxygen levels have specifically, and how should you react? In essence, blood oxygen levels are crucial because they show how the body's blood cells are distributing oxygen. Up to four oxygen molecules may fit within each cell, so it goes without saying that you need a lot of oxygen to keep your heart and brain functioning at their best. In other words, your blood must always have a proper amount of oxygen for your body's important functions. You use a pulse oximeter to measure what is known as oxygen saturation.
Pulse Oximeter Readings
Your blood's oxygen saturation level is used to calculate your oxygen levels. In medical terms, this is your SpO2 level.
Normal Blood Oxygen Levels
The normal blood oxygen saturation rate is between 95% and 100%.
Concerning Blood Oxygen Levels
It is alarming if oxygen concentrations drop between 91% and 95%. It is essential that you consult your healthcare physician if you have a reading in this range since it denotes an underlying medical issue.
Low Blood Oxygen Levels
In medicine, a low blood oxygen rate is characterized by oxygen saturation levels that are less than 90%. Readings at this level, in essence, signal a medical emergency. If the level of blood oxygen saturation drops this low, you should contact 911 right away.
Below 85% Oxygen Saturation Levels
A patient's brain is negatively impacted by low oxygen levels if their oxygen saturation level drops to 85% or lower. Visual alterations, vision loss, and complete unconsciousness are symptoms
Cyanosis
If blood oxygen saturation levels fall to around 67%, Cyanosis will set it.The lack of oxygen being transported by your blood cells, causes a blue tinge to develop on your skin. Your mouth, lips, and beneath your fingernail matrix will be affected first, followed by the spread occurring over the rest of your body.
Final Words
It's crucial to comprehend blood oxygen saturation values while using a pulse oximeter at home.If you take a reading lower than 95% you now know that action does need to be taken.
What Causes Decreased Oxygen Saturation?
Cyanosis will occur if blood oxygen saturation levels drop to about 67%. Your skin starts to become blue because your blood cells aren't carrying enough oxygen. First, the area around your mouth, lips, and the matrix under your fingernails will be impacted, then the remainder of your body.
Hypoxemia is a decrease in blood oxygen saturation. It could result from: Less oxygen in the air (for example, when you are flying in an airplane)
breathing-related conditions (such as asthma and COPD)
conditions that impact the uptake of oxygen (such as pneumonia)
having insufficient hemoglobin or red blood cells (anemia)
Breathing in another substance (such as carbon monoxide or cyanide) that binds more strongly to hemoglobin than oxygen does
How to Raise Blood Oxygen Fast
Call your provider if your O2 saturation level is low. You might need to seek emergency medical attention if it is really low.
You can also try to raise your blood oxygen levels immediately away by doing the following:
Alternatively, sit up straight to lying flat
If it's too hot or too chilly outside, go inside or get some fresh air.
Cough to remove any mucous (such as those from allergies or a cold/flu).
Make sure you are not taking "shallow" breaths; in order to get enough oxygen into your blood, you must take deep, complete breaths.
Complications of Low Oxygen Saturation
Less oxygen may be present in the body's tissues, such as the muscles and organs, if the blood's oxygen saturation is low. Hypoxia is the term used when this takes place. When there is only a slight shortage of oxygen, your cells can adjust. Larger shortages, however, might result in cell death and damage.
Usually, hypoxia results from a lack of oxygen in the blood (hypoxemia). But it can also occur when: 1. Not enough red blood cells are present to transport oxygen to the tissues; (e.g., from severe bleeding after a trauma or conditions like sickle cell anemia).
2. There is insufficient blood flow (a stroke happens when there is insufficient blood flow to a region of the brain, for example; a heart attack occurs when there is low blood flow to the heart muscles).
3.The tissues require even more oxygenated blood than can be delivered (e.g., severe infections that cause sepsis may result in hypoxemia and eventually organ failure)
Treating Low Oxygen Saturation
A level of oxygen saturation below 95% is often regarded as abnormal. When O2 falls below 90%, a situation is urgent. Someone will require oxygen therapy—sometimes immediately—if their oxygen saturation is critically low.
The brain is the organ most vulnerable to hypoxia. After losing oxygen for five minutes, brain cells might start to die. Long-term hypoxia can cause unconsciousness, convulsions, and brain death. To solve the issue, it is crucial to identify the low oxygen saturation's root cause. For instance, poor air exchange in the lungs and alveoli is typically the source of hypoxia in chronic illnesses like COPD and asthma. Steroids or rescue inhalers (bronchodilators), in addition to oxygen treatment, could be required to open the airways.Insufficient blood flow in circulatory disorders like heart disease limits oxygen delivery. In this situation, prescription drugs to treat cardiac arrhythmias or beta-blockers for heart failure that enhance heart function may assist to increase oxygenation.When a person has anemia, there aren't enough healthy red blood cells containing hemoglobin to deliver oxygen, which reduces the amount of blood that gets to the tissues. Red blood cell transfusions are occasionally required to raise a person's amount of healthy red blood cells.
