What Is a Good Blood Oxygen Level?

The oxygen enters the human body through the nose or mouth. This happens as you breathe or inhale the air which carries oxygen. When the oxygen enters your body, it passes through the lungs to go into the bloodstream. When the oxygen goes to the bloodstream, it enters red blood cells which facilitate the oxygen to circulate all over the body. To keep good health, you must try to create a balance of oxygen-saturated blood in your body. It is your body that regulates your oxygen level in blood. 

What are Blood Oxygen Levels?

The blood oxygen level in the human body is a measure of the quantum of oxygen present in your red blood cells. The red blood cells carry the oxygen in your body. This is the quantum or level of oxygen circulating in your red blood cells. The red blood cells collect the oxygen from the lungs to circulate it throughout your body. A normal pulse oximeter reading for your oxygen saturation level should be between 95% and 100%. 

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Symptoms of Low Blood Oxygen Levels

The low level of oxygen in your blood is risky. There are certain symptoms of low blood oxygen levels that you should know.

These symptoms are given below:

• Frequent headache 
• You have breathing trouble or shortness of breath
• Your heartbeat starts moving faster
• At times, you may cough frequently
• Chest pain 

Causes of Low Blood Oxygen

The blood oxygen level in your body can be low due to a number of reasons. We are listing below the main reasons for low blood oxygen in your body: 

• Asthma
• Anemia 
• Chronic bronchitis and emphysema
• Congenital heart problems or disease
• Pulmonary embolism
• Heart disease

Under these conditions, the lung may not be able to inhale enough oxygen. It also creates obstructions to exhaling the carbon dioxide of the human body. As a result, the oxygen level in your body may be low. 

Why Do I Need to Have my Blood Oxygen Level Tested?

You should check your blood oxygen quantum in the following cases: 

• On developing breathing trouble. 
• In case you have suffered an accident leading to injury in your neck or head. 
• In case you contacted the COVID-19
• If you have pneumonia.
• In case you have suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning, smoke inhalation, or any other toxic affliction.
• If you get repeated bouts of vomiting or develop a persistent nauseating tendency. 

How Is Blood Oxygen Level Measured?

There is a certain medical system under which the blood oxygen level is measured. Usually, the doctors will ask you to go for an ABG test under which a blood sample from an artery will be taken. Mostly, the vein of the wrist is used for this purpose. 

The following information may help you to know how the blood oxygen is measured: 

Arterial blood gas: This is known as the ABG blood oxygen test. It detects the level of other gases in your blood, as well as the pH (acid/base level). 

Pulse oximeter: This is the easiest way to check the oxygen level in blood. This is a noninvasive device that works by sending infrared light into capillaries in your finger, toe, or earlobe. Pulse oximeter reading can be exact. Hardly an effort of 2% can be expected. 

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What Is a Good Blood Oxygen Level?

A good blood oxygen level in your body is a healthy saturation level of oxygen. It is termed as PaO2 when using a blood gas and an O2 sat (SpO2) when using a pulse ox. 

To understand it better, we can explain it in the following manner: 

Normal blood oxygen level: A normal Arterial blood gas (ABG) oxygen level should fall between 80 and 100 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). A normal reading is between 95 and 100 percent. 

Low blood oxygen level: This is called hypoxemia which can lead to complications in body tissue and organs. 

High blood oxygen level: If you are breathing without any external assistance, your blood oxygen level is high. 

What Happens if your Blood Oxygen Level is Too Low?

In such a case, you may show the following signs: 

• Breathing trouble
• Pain in the cardiac region and chest
• The rate of your heartbeat goes up
• You suffer from repeated spells of headache
• Blue discoloration of your nail beds

How Do you Increase Blood Oxygen Levels?

You can increase the blood oxygen levels in the following ways: 

Do regular physical exercises to inhale more fresh oxygen. 

Follow Two Breathing Exercises: 

1) pursed-lip breathing (breathing through your nose, and then breathing out through your lips) and 

2) belly breathing through your nose, using your hand to feel your belly filling up with air. Then, breathe out through your mouth.

When To Contact a Doctor? 

Whenever you have breathing trouble and it continues, you should immediately visit a doctor. You can always match your troubles with the symptoms mentioned above. If you feel you are having those symptoms, you should not lose any time. Go to the doctor without wasting any time. 

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The Last Word

Oxygen is a basic thing to survive. The blood oxygen level which is also known as blood oxygen saturation is the amount of oxygen you have been circulating in your blood. As you inhale oxygen, it goes to your system. When you breathe in oxygen, it goes through your lungs and from the lungs into your bloodstream. The quantum, amount, or level of oxygen in the red cells of your blood is your blood oxygen level. 

If you could remember properly, COVID-19 patients have suffered a lot due to oxygen-related issues. It is because lungs and hearts are interconnected. When lungs don’t supply enough oxygen, your heart tends to stop. That’s why anyone suffering from sudden breathlessness needs medical attention.

All COVID-19 patients need to maintain their oxygen level frequently to make sure they are safe and don’t require immediate hospitalisation. That’s why patients should keep a tab on their blood oxygen level frequently.