Oxygen level queries

[ash6]

Hi all, hope your doing well. So I started smoking again about a month or more ago and I'm trying to stop but it's hard, I have a vape coming on the weekend so fingers crossed that helps. Anyway with all that's going on I want to get back in shape but as you all know it's hard with asthma and my anxiety but recently I was checking my oxygen saturation and it worries me a bit as it varies from between 93 and 97 percent. My question is would me smoking again be causing this and what other common reasons are there for a lower than normal oxygen saturation? When ever I have been doctors they have said it's all good so I'm a bit confused

Thank you all

[Pebbles1012]

The fact you have asthma causes a reduction in the size of the airway. Smoking is an irritant and will not be helping the airway at all - neither will vaping.

Smoking is addictive so I understand it’s difficult to stop. But if you carry on your lung health will worsen.

Instead , consider the stresses that encourage you to reach for a cigarette or vape and think of what you can do to alleviate those. To counteract the cravings use nicotine replacement therapy instead - not inhaled though - different methods - locenges , patches etc

Good luck but don’t be fooled that smoking anything is ok - not even vaping is ok

[twinkly29]

What pebbles says is true - but wanted to add that, for most people, sats of 94 and above are entirely normal and there will be some variation. I assume that smoking might lower them a bit although I don't actually know. It's also worth keeping in mind that many sats probes etc are not very reliable so people are buying them and using them and they can be inaccurate anyway. Having said that, it does sound as if yours might be ok as it's giving normal readings.

[Gilly100]

I have had asthma all my life and when I met my husband he had been a smoker since age 14. He tried to give up smoking about 20 times over the years so when he met me he had no option but to give up. He managed to do it through a smoking cessation clinic at the GP surgery using patches and inhalers in 2006, well before these new-fangled things came out. I urge you to contact your doctor's surgery to see if they do these clinics as it can be a matter of life and death. Good luck.