Everything You Need to Know About Pulse Oximeters

A Pulse Oximeter is no longer a device that is just found in medical settings. You may discover that many people own their own personal fingertip pulse oximeter now too, as they have become an affordable device, and one which is very useful to have in the home. What do they do you ask? Why would I need one? We answer these most frequently asked questions below.

Professional Pulse Oximeters

What Are They?

Pulse oximeters are medical devices that are used to measure both your pulse rate and your blood oxygen levels. The ones you see people with in their homes are usually fingertip pulse oximeters - they can be attached to your finger to produce both a heart rate and a blood oxygen reading within minutes. You can attach the probe (the clip part) to your nose or earlobe too to get a reading. It is a very painless, quick and effective means of checking key indicators of the state of your health.

What Are They Used For?

You can discover how many times your heart beats per minute and what percentage of oxygen is in your blood through one quick Pulse Oximeter reading. The probe uses LED lights and photo sensor detectors to test your blood oxygen measurements. The ratio of light absorbed by your skin tissue dictates the measurements produced in your reading.

Why Would I Use One?

An unhealthy heart rate can lead to the development of heart conditions over time if not attended to, therefore it is important that we monitor our heart rates regularly. If our Sp02 (blood oxygen) levels should ever fall below 90%, we are putting our bodies at serious risk. Athletes with intensive training programs and those suffering from heart or respiratory conditions are most at risk of falling Sp02 levels due to the pressure their bodies are under. Blood oxygen is essential for brain development and functioning too. If we want to ensure that our brain performance is at an optimum level, we need to monitor our Sp02 levels.