Unless we are sick, we do not easily know about many medical terms. SpO2 was also among the unknown terms for many years, but in recent years, many users met this term due to the development of smart watches to perform simple health scans. SpO2 value, which expresses the oxygen saturation in the blood, is of vital importance because oxygen means life for all of us.
Most people’s SpO2 values are within normal limits and do not rise easily. However, it can fall easily, and when it does, it can signal certain lung conditions. Of course, there is no need to obsess over this, but knowing about such an important value is also extremely important. Let’s take a closer look at the answers to questions such as what is SpO2, why it drops, and what happens if it drops.
What is SpO2?
Oxygen saturation in the blood, abbreviated SpO2, refers to the oxygen concentration in the blood. It is not a value to be ignored because oxygen is necessary for human life and the oxygen we breathe is distributed to the necessary points of our body only with blood. As long as breathing is healthy, the SpO2 value of the person remains at the normal level.
What should be the ideal SpO2 value?
The SpO2 value, which indicates the oxygen saturation in the blood, should be between 95 percent and 100 percent in healthy people. Values slightly below are acceptable as long as they are not continuous. However, a decrease below 90 percent is considered as low oxygen level, while a decrease below 80 percent is a sign that many organs, especially the brain and heart, will be damaged.
How is SpO2 measured?
Since the SpO2 value shows the oxygen saturation level in the blood, of course, the most accurate method is the blood test. Blood is taken from the artery to measure the SpO2 value. Because oxygen is carried by blood passing through the arteries.
Another method used to measure the SpO2 value is the use of a device called a pulse oximeter. Smart watches use a similar system. Pulse oximetry detects the brighter red hemoglobin that carries oxygen by giving an infrared light to the vessels. The device that evaluates this detection reveals the SpO2 value. However, this result has a +/- 2 percent margin of error.
Why does the SpO2 value decrease?
The main reason for the decrease in SpO2 value is that the person cannot breathe properly. Even if the person with low oxygen saturation in the blood breathes healthy, the hemoglobins may not be able to carry the blood. Some ailments that are known to reduce SpO2 are as follows;
- Chronic bronchitis
- Emphysema
- COPD
- Asthma
- Failed lung
- Anemia
- Congenital heart problems
- Subsequent heart problems
- Pulmonary embolism
Of course, cigarettes, the biggest enemy of human beings, are the biggest reason for the decrease in SpO2 value. Smokers have a build-up of carbon monoxide in their blood. In other words, blood carries a poisonous gas instead of oxygen. Smoking is one of the biggest dangers that should not be ignored.
What happens when your SpO2 drops?
- When the SpO2 value starts to decrease;
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain
- Blurred consciousness
- confusion
- Headache
- Accelerating heartbeat
If the SpO2 value continues to decrease, your body starts to show signs of cyanosis. In other words, your nails and skin take on a blue color. As it continues, respiratory failure occurs. As soon as respiratory failure begins, organs are damaged to a large extent and unfortunately the end is death. Therefore, when you have the slightest doubt, apply to the nearest health institution.
How to increase SpO2 value?
Remember that smartwatches or pulse oximeters have a margin of error. So don’t be alarmed if you see low SpO2 on this type of device. There may be momentary drops, or there may be a truly erroneous measurement. You should follow up on your complaints such as shortness of breath and chest pain.
The way to increase the SpO2 value, that is, the oxygen saturation in the blood, is to breathe healthily. If there is no disturbance in your blood or circulatory system, as soon as you start breathing healthily, first your lungs and then your blood will fill with oxygen and spread it throughout your body.
As soon as you quit smoking, you will feel the oxygen level in your blood increase. Exercising regularly is extremely important both for healthy breathing and for the blood to spread oxygen throughout the body. If you cannot overcome this problem by your own means, you can start using supplemental oxygen upon the advice of your doctor.
We answered the curious questions such as what is SpO2, how is the oxygen saturation in the blood, which is easily measured even by smart watches, why it drops, what happens if it drops, and we talked about the details you need to know about this important value. What we have told is for informational purposes only, do not neglect to apply to the nearest health institution when you feel any discomfort.
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