Why are my SATS at 98 when my chest feels heavy and coughing

[Ghoulette]

Hi all

I'm currently in hospital (planned admission for steroid weaning) and my obs are usually 94-95% SATS. I have got tachycardia which they are also looking in to.

I'm down to 10mg currently, looking to drop to 5mg tomorrow. I had an attack after my shower on Monday just gone and my SATS were 98% immediately during/post attack (droppingvto to 94% after a while). I've been on four times daily salbutamol 2.5mg since admission, and adding in Ipratropium 5mg dropping to 2.5mg for the last 3 days since Monday.

Over the last couple of days, I have noticed that my chest starts to feel heavy and I have been coughing (a bit wheezy) in the morning and also after tea time/evening in between my nebs.

At this point, my SATS are 98%. I'm just wondering why this might be? It makes no sense to me that whilst I feel worse, my SATS improve? The nurses or nursing assistants always say that the 98% is good, but why, if my chest feels off?

Can anyone offer advice please?

Many thanks ,

Michelle

[ALUK_Nurses Partner Administrator ALUK Asthma Nurse]

Hi Ghoulette, oxygen saturation can be really useful for lots of respiratory problems but for asthma less so. This is because our oxygen saturation tends to only drop in asthma when we are more poorly so it's always best to go by your symptoms first.

Flag up with your medical team how you are feeling so they are aware.

Wishing you a speedy recovery

👍😊

healthunlocked.com/asthmauk...

[Ghoulette in reply to ALUK_Nurses]

Thank you. My SATS are usually around 94-95% and I was just curious as to why they increased when my chest is heavier/sob. The doctors all say I'm fine because my SATS are at 98% 😏 x

[Melanie1989]

Hi Ghoulette,

I'm no expert but could it be as your chest is tighter you're taking in more oxygen? At the beginning of an attack or flare its common to hyperventilate, so may just be extra compensation for you're lungs getting tighter. As you're lungs get tighter, the faster we breathe, and as our blood gases exchange well for a while during the beginning stages this can cause an increase in o2.

My sats stay high even in a severe attack but my blood gases do usually show hyperventilation at the beginning, if my bloods are normal then I'm usually in trouble 😂

Hope the pred wean goes well, and you're symptoms reduce.

[Dino40]

I always bamboozle the doctors when I'm admitted to hospital as my stats are usually 98 on the money.

Doesn't matter how ill I am, 98 nearly every time.

One of the GP's with a little more what shall we say "knowledge" knows though when to act as she says I'm a very good compensator..

Asthmatics usually compensate very well when we're in trouble but it's knowing when to act before we're too exhausted to keep it up.

Make sure you let them know you're struggling even if they do hang onto stats as being the be all and end all. 😉