Pulse oximeters and why everyone should get one.

A doctor argues that everyone should get a pulse oximeter during the coronavirus crisis.

See: google.co.uk/amp/s/www.ecow...

[Jalia]

I would definitely agree here. I've had mine for quite a few years.

I found it useful recently when I had a phone consultation with my GP and was able to relay my Sp02 levels to him to assist with a diagnosis.

[Seawalk]

Absolutely agree. I have had a pulse oximeter for quite awhile. Just backing up what you say. I read this April 20 NYT,

nytimes.com/2020/04/20/opin...

[CDreamer]

I also have oximeter for some years and found it very helpful, especially when using breathing exercises to increase 02 saturation.

[Barny12 in reply to CDreamer]

Are you finding nasal breathing helps with this?

[CDreamer in reply to Barny12]

Yes I am. I had a virus last November which left me with blocked sinus which has been a pain. I tried everything and nothing seemed to work but since doing the nasal breathing - and taping my mouth up to get into the habit - I have found my sinus have been draining much better. I’ve also been using a sinus wash daily which someone on here advised and I think that has helped also but still got blocked ears! They are all small things in these times but annoying and persistent.

I now have shingles - due to the immune suppressants. If not one thing - it’s another.

[Bagrat]

I ordered one a couple of weeks ago. When it will turn up is a different matter!!

[Hidden in reply to Bagrat]

Delivery on Amazon was indeed over a month last time I checked.

[Bagrat in reply to Hidden]

Like my advanced directive, like to be prepared

[sotolol in reply to Bagrat]

I’ve been looking at these for a while. Hope your jaw is ok. ??

X

[Bagrat in reply to sotolol]

Yes thanks just niggling on. Steak out of the question!!! Oximeter arriving May 11th!

[sotolol in reply to Bagrat]

Bless you. Rice pudding then ! May 11th not long then 🙄

[Bagrat in reply to sotolol]

I eat most things but not rice pudding or tripe!! Thanks for the suggestion though

[20WildRose19 in reply to Bagrat]

I hate tripe too. Horrible white slimmy stuff!

[irene75359]

I ordered yesterday direct from Tower Health (in stock) - Vascular Health Check Monitor with Pulse Oximeter. There was a further discount for two as my daughter wanted one as well. I then looked online and found a further discount voucher for £15 off. This brought the price to £47.45 each, selling today on Amazon for £69.95.

[Barb1 in reply to irene75359]

Thank you. Just ordered one from Tower Health. Supposedly 5 days but we shall see.

[irene75359 in reply to Barb1]

So, ordered yesterday (Friday) and today I have a confirmation email saying it is with Hermes along with the tracking number. So might be a bit less!

[secondtry]

Thank you good tip!!

[Ppiman]

Thanks for your post. I'd read similar, a while back, but that was back when it seemed only over 70s should be worrying about Corvid-19 so we failed to register the importance of it.

Now it seems that the warning is rather less age specific and that the unique aspect of Corvid-19 to knock back oxygen levels without creating the usual physical warning symptoms is a genuine concern for yet more of us. I gather many sufferers badly need extra oxygen much earlier during the course of the disease.

We've had one of the devices for a while but we gave it to our daughter in law, who is a nurse. We tried to order one for ourselves last week only to find them generally unavailable or with long delivery delays. I eventually got one that is supposed to be delivered today. On eBay it showed as Leicester being where it was being posted from but the Paypal invoice was all in Chinese, so we shall see. I truly hope that we don't need to use it.

Steve

[Hidden in reply to Ppiman]

It’s useful to quickly measure your pulse rate. You can also check to see if you are getting enough oxygen at night if you wake up. A low reading might point to sleep apnea.

[dmack4646]

Undoubtedly they should be giving them out to people that can’t afford them or don’t know

[Goldfish7]

totally agree - I've had one for a while as I may also have lung complications to heart issues - no one is making a firm diagnosis until further heart tests are completed ie. angiogram. Great, simple tool to keep an eye on pulse if out walking and to see if Im getting the required oxygen level when walking. It was very useful when I went through a coupe of weeks of night time breathlessness over Xmas (was it early covid 19???)

[Auriculaire in reply to Goldfish7]

My husband was afflicted with a virus over Christmas and had many of the symptoms of covid 19 but I have always dismissed the possibility as it was only just appearing in China then.

[Goldfish7 in reply to Auriculaire]

I think the first signs of it had appeared as an unknown virus in China in November but the Dr was hushed up and hasn't been seen since - hard to know how true this is with the levels of conflicting propaganda from the US, China, and our lot!!

I'm not really convinced I had it as it was unpleasant but mild without a long running high temperature. However my poor Mother had an appalling flu like illness for several weeks in early January (had had the flu jab) and I wouldn't be surprised if that turned out to be Corvid 19. she was wiped out for a good couple of months following it.

[20WildRose19 in reply to Auriculaire]

My brother too was very ill over Christmas and New Year. Dr said it was pre pneumonia, coughing a lot. Many different antibiotics and steroids. Makes you wonder?

[momist]

So, he has shares in the company that makes them?

[S11m]

My AF was misdiagnosed...

My doctor thought that I was "just depressed" and discussed anti-depressants or a psych referral.

I sort a second opinion - and the doc just wrote out a prescription for anti-depressants and said: "take these".

The pharmacist diagnosed Bradycardia.

...so I bought a pulse-oximeter and I was able to prove to the doc that I was ill (and not "just depressed")

My SPO2 was getting down to 75 at night - and, sometimes I woke up paralysed from the eyelids down.

Three cardioversions, two catheter ablations and two pacemakers have helped.

[Palpman]

Can someone explain what is wrong with the free Samsung O2 app. I have used it for some time now.

[philologus]

I use my oximeter when I use my excersise bike. After 40 mins at an average of 15mph I've coverered 10 miles. I then check the meter to see how quickly my pulse drops and what my oxy levels are.

I'm 75 so that's quite good I think but my heart rate stays below 110 and my oxy is always above 96.

I'm going to have a chat to my GP when this virus allows for it to see if I can reduce some of my medication- Nebivolol and Ramipril, because I think my heart should be doing more than the usual 105 when I'm putting that much effort in.

I think my wife and I had the virus in early January but we haven't been tested. The WHO are now saying that there's no proof that you will have immunity and you can get it a second time.

[Bolander]

I bought pulse oximeter a little while back as it seemed to be one of the three things my GP uses to check my health (I already had a thermometer that can take a reading from the eardrum, and a blood pressure monitor.) I was very glad I had done so when I developed a viral infection a few weeks ago, with some of the symptoms of Covid19. It allowed me to confirm that my lungs hadn't been affected and therefore it was unlikely to be Covid19, and prevented unnecessary worry. Now that telephone consultations are the norm having these three pieces of equipment should make life easier for doctors and patients.

[marcyh]

I use mine as a quick go-to to see my HR and rhythm pattern if I suspect I'm in AF. Very handy. Never thought about using the O2 reading with a virus concern, and thankfully haven't had a reason for it.

[john-boy-92]

I agree; I've had one since pulmonary toxicity. Mine also has a pleth display so I can see pulse, regularity of heart beat and, strength of the pulse. The problem comes if you have Raynaud's syndrome - I have a tendency to that - so you may need to warm up your finger beforehand.