Oximeter recommendations

[Junglechicken]

I’m looking to buy an oximeter. Does anyone have any recommendations? I’d like one that you just clip onto your finger and shows pulse rate plus oxygen levels. My budget is quite flexible. Thank you! JC

[Fruitandnutcase]

I bought this about five or six one years ago. There wasn’t much choice back then but it has been very good, I’ve replaced the batteries several times and is still going strong - I’ve noticed the one my GP uses is much bigger and chunkier but mine is fine.

smile.amazon.co.uk/Oximeter...

[Statch in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

I bought the hylogy oximeter from amazon a while back seems ok haven't used it in a while.

[Js706]

Hi JC

Generally its not recommended for asthmatics to use home pulse ox monitors to monitor themselves unless its been discussed with their team - because O2 sats are often one of the last things to drop in asthma as we can compensate so well and things like peak flow/symptoms/response to treatment are much more important. So if someone is going to get one to use at home it should be with instructions from their team on how to use it appropriately.

There are also a lot of factors that can affect the reading like the quality of the model, finger temperature, if your hand is really shaky, if your pulse is very high/a bit irregular and lots of others - which can make the reading falsely high or low.

So if you do want to get one please make sure to discuss it with someone first to get some guidance on how best to use it and its normally best to take it along to an appointment or something and check that it matches the readings given on the hospital ones that have been properly calibrated.

Hope you're doing ok

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to Js706]

I bought mine to use as a pulsemeter because I could never find my pulse when I wanted it. The oxygen part was a surprise. Interesting to see though.

I also discovered that it didn’t work when I was wearing very dark coloured nail varnish.

[hilary39]

I have this one and it's been great! I used it many times a day when I had COVID and it was a lifesaver for tracking my vitals.

amazon.co.uk/Zacurate%C2%AE...

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to hilary39]

I had a dreadful virus from 22/12/19 that lasted a very long time, my peak flow was half of what it should have been normally so I doubled up on my brown inhaler and used my pulse meter to make sure I kept my oxygen levels high.

Looking back I’m sure it was covid although I was ahead of the outbreak then I read somewhere that oxygen meters were lifesavers if you had covid and along with my peak flow meter and loads of brown inhaler my little machine definitely helped me.

[hilary39 in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

Oh wow. Can you get an antibody test to confirm?

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to hilary39]

Well I was going to order the Abbott test that Medichecks were offering online then the government told places like that to stop offering them. I’d love to know, it was an really awful virus but I knew it wasn’t flu because it didn’t come on suddenly like flu does - I could feel it coming.

I got out for my first walk the Sunday after New Year then on the following Wednesday 9/1/20 I decided I’d go to the loo after I put my book down and the light out and somehow or another I rolled off the bed in the dark and broke both bones in my wrist.

So between one thing and another I’ve pretty much been in lockdown - apart from a few hospital visits to get my plaster seen to - since before Christmas last year.

[Blue-Breeze in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

Oh dear poor you breaking both wrists you must have been in agony. With that and ? Covid. Take care

[Fruitandnutcase in reply to Blue-Breeze]

Thanks for the sympathy- it just the one wrist - both bones though - it was incredibly painful for a very long time - the radius as well as being broken was way out of shape and had to be stretched under gas and air. Could have been worse at least the bone wasn’t sticking through the skin

It was funny in a grim sort of way because I had watched a similar accident on one of those helicopter medic programmes so when the nurse started to explain what he was going to be doing to fix it I said I knew exactly what was coming because I’d watched it on TV.

Funny thing was that when I saw a repeat of the same procedure recently I had to switch it off.

My son broke both wrists when he was 12. Believe me life was terribly difficult for him.

[Blue-Breeze in reply to Fruitandnutcase]

Oh sorry totally missread. Still as painful though as you said OUCH but not as ackward hopefully.?

[Blue-Breeze]

Hi. I got mine from amazon. Just checked but it's out of stock. I made sure it had good reviews as in was good reading with GP some had said. It had 4 way views. Which I've found useful as I can change the view so I can read it. I don't rely on the O2 reading as my asthma indicator though. It's really just a back up tool.

[Junglechicken in reply to Blue-Breeze]

Yes, I also planned to use it as a back up tool.

[Junglechicken]

Thank you to everyone who has replied. There have been some great recommendations there that I will check out.

[Blue-Breeze]

Hope you are well JC?

[Junglechicken in reply to Blue-Breeze]

Yes, I’m ok BB, thanks. I was just thinking that an oximeter might be a good thing to have. The only thing that is in the back of my mind is that sometimes I’m not a stats dropper. I’ve had attacks with and without a wheeze. Perfect stats every time with the exception of a racing heart rate which slows with salbutamol. So I need to be aware of that.

[Blue-Breeze in reply to Junglechicken]

I've just sent you a PM. I've found mine good to monitor as another tool but not the only one. We are the same as we know.

[Melwoosnam]

I use a Beurer finger oximeter which is exellent, I've had it a few years and found it quite reliable, would recommend it.

Regards Mel W.

[Melwoosnam]

I've had a Beure r Oximeter for a number of years and found it very reliable, I recommend it. Mel W.