Oximeter Reading.

[Ern007]

Hello,

I have just joined this form. I bought an Oximeter that records for 24 hours. I have COPD, Angina an Have Bradycardia which was the reason I bought the Oximeter to keep track of my heart rate which every night goes into the 30's BPM.

However I noticed that over a 5 hour test - between 20 - 30 minutes showed I had reduced SPO2. Normally between 90 and 94% with spikes going down to 88% and spikes going down to 75% - The spikes did not last long but is frequent. This normally happens at rest (sleep) Anyone else ever noticed this. BTW - At time as the spike in SPO2 came down, heart rate went up at the same time. can't say I am that worried but main reason for l

After may years of chest X Rays recently I have had to have an extra X Ray done, radiologist says just long lungs.

However as I say this has only happened recently and I am not tall, 5" 8" and weigh about 10 stone.So being tall and thin is not the reason long lungs I see on Google, is COPD.

[Hidden]

Hi I can only comment on long lungs. I think most of us have bigger lungs than 'normal' people because of the effort of breathing. I am only mild/mod but was told my lungs are quite long too.

[skischool]

ern007

Welcome to the site Fine array of kit you have assembled there,i must confess i have never even heard of the expression long lungs,are all these measurements being done under the guidance of your respiratory consultant?if not i think it would be a good idea to compile your information and take it to him/her for a proper diagnosis............regards skis

[Ern007 in reply to skischool]

Thank you for the welcome skischool. My GP has seen my printed results and sent me to Cardiologist over the slow heart rate. she also tested my Oximeter reading against hers.

I have done over 50 tests and printed them out, she gave me a chart record put in my SPO2 and PR readings as a chart.

The SPO2 she just put down to COPD - was concerned at the low spikes,but being they recovered quickly to 90%, she took no action. Asthma Nurse was more concerned and she refused to give me my annual spirometry test because of the low reading. Just as a BTW one reading showed a heart rate reading of 220 BPM, She was far more interested in that than the SPO2 reading.

Thank you also lilaclil for your reply.

[skischool]

Ern007 Here on this site we are generally pretty clued up on copd which as you will probably have been advised is an umbrella term to encompass many lung diseases.none of us are qualified to give you an authoritative diagnosis on test results be they spirometry tests.blood gases,overnight spo2/bpm/pr or similar measurements taken at home or by specific specialist teams.We can only compare some of your symptoms to our own and give experience based advice other than that you need to consult with your relevant specialist...........wishing you the very best...............skis

[Ern007]

just one point on your reply - I have had COPD for many years and totally agree with your point. however my post was not for a diagnosis - It was just to enquire had anyone else had these kinds of SP02 results. Thank's again for your replies.

[mrsmummy in reply to Ern007]

Low oxygen saturation causes the heart to beat faster as it tries to compensate. That said, if your sats tend to drop at night and not during the day I would suggest you ask about being tested for sleep apnoea and I would also be asking for a referral to a respiratory consultant. Good luck.

[Offcut]

I am tachycardic with many other heart and lung conditions. I did have a 24 holter test and that showed a low of 32 and a high of 168 BPM. From what I was told spikes are not that much of an issue only the long periods of unusualness (For the want of a better word) My O2 drops and recovers fairly quickly depending on what is out of sync at the time. In my case it means I adjust what I do at that time, Know your limits?

Be Well

[jackdup]

Are the readings you refer to while you are sleeping? When you say it spikes down to 75% but doesn't last long is it just a one second spike down and then back up or is it down at that level for a few minutes? If this is a oximeter that clips on your finger, which I assume it is, is it possible during your sleep it could get moved around a bit and give a false reading?

I had an overnight test for sleep apnea and found if the finger clip got moved a bit it would drop drastically and then come right back. At the end of the test in the morning I put it on my wife's finger, who does not have COPD and when she moved it a bit it would also spike down but recovery immediately.

When pulse went up to 220 was it a gradual climb to that level and how long did it stay up there or did it come down immediately as again could be a false reading if it was 60 and then jumped to 220 and then back to 60.

Obviously the best course of action is to have it fully investigated just to be sure.

[Ern007 in reply to jackdup]

Sorry for delay in answering. Yes most are done at sleep. However I have had steady falls when awake. The pulse reading are always in 30s when asleep but are accurate - How I know is I watch films in bed and I only put meter on when going to sleep, by then it will show in the 30s at the start. It normally is higher in the day, at doctors 2 weeks ago, she took a reading and the alarm sounded on her Oximeter.

In the daytime I have seen my pulse climb from in the 40s up to 220BPM - I have that as a photo and on video taken by my wife on smartphone.

I think I hardly ever lose finger contact at night - Reason I say that when I view or print it out, the 'artifact. is mostly at zero or 0.1% - Start record with no finger and the 'artifact' will be 100%.

Movement I have found on my 24 hour record meter is not that pronounced, it affects the pleth badly but not the pulse rate or SPO2%

I get about 4 spikes at a time - some are shown as events which is over 10 seconds - mainly though very low spike are for very short periods. those shown as events are normally between 88% and 90%

Out of interest I had had Oximeter on record and I got that Sleep paralysis which I used to get a lot. This time it affected my breathing. I could not breath and was struggling - on waking I got out of bed and hook the meter up to my laptop and you could see, the time I had been dreaming at the end of the study showed low SPO2 for about 10 minutes - I labeled it SA but doctor said, that was probably not the cause.

[jackdup in reply to Ern007]

So you have not had an actual sleep study to check for SA? One would think given your own findings they would investigate further.

[Ern007 in reply to jackdup]

Yes - They used the reading for cardiologist, but they just put the SPO2 down to COPD - New nurse where I have moved house to says I may need oxygen, I hope not .

[jackdup in reply to Ern007]

I hope not as well.