Hypoxemia

[Maskt3]

Hi, I have a fitbit watch, bought so I could keep up steps during Lockdown when we had to shield. This watch can do Blood Pressure, SATs and other things. Last week I was just dropping off to sleep and an alarm sounded against my wrist, I looked at my watch and it read HYPOXIA!! This had never happened before, now it has happened 3 times as I fall asleep. Is it something to do with heart or lungs, or both? I have asthma, Bronchiectasis and Aspergillosis plus have a TOE procedure next Tuesday to check my Aortic Valve which is/has worn out. Wondering to speak to GP first or wait til I see a surgeon next week?? Anyone had similar?

[Hidden]

You should not put this much faith into a wrist worn device, they are notoriously unreliable. They are OK for counting steps or a rough guide to heart rate but they are not diagnostic tools!

[Hidden]

Wrist worn devices have been proven to be off on everything, even counting heart rate, and this is particularly true of people with underlying conditions: many manufacturers stipulate that in their terms and conditions. The only reliable method of measuring sats at home is a fingertip monitor, and even those will have a degree of variation and error compared to the proper SpO2 monitors used to monitor patients in hospital. You can buy a reasonable fingertip monitor online from about £20. The other thing to consider is where the cut off is for the device and what’s normal for you, particularly as you have multiple respiratory diagnoses. My daughter has a chronic lung disease and when well runs sats of 97+, but may drop to 93 when she has an exacerbation. When our most recent fingertip monitor arrived, it was set to alarm at 94. Her team are only concerned if she drops below 92%, which is when medics get concerned generally, but plenty of people with chronic lung conditions routinely function at levels below that, because that’s normal for them.

[Maskt3 in reply to Hidden]

Thankyou, I have had the fitbit for 2years now and never had that alarm go off! I agree it doesn't accurately give my BP if I go into my BP machine. But as it's a new result, never had it before I had to wonder. I normally have 98 Sats on my fingertip monitor or if I go to a hospital appointment, even if I can't breathe, one of those lung improbables.

[Holiday12345]

I get a similar thing as I drop off to sleep, can happen multiple times or not at all each evening and will be getting checked for sleep apnea (in the mean time was thinking of trying the ring o2 monitor which buzzes if o2 levels drop under a certain number).

[Maskt3 in reply to Holiday12345]

Thankyou I will definitely look that up. I also am going to get sleep Apnoea tested as soon as TOE procedure is done. One thing at a time.