. is it below a sp02 level of 92. that was the information given to me by my consultant . however the oxygen nurse told me that a level of 84 to 92 is an acceptable amount . all the information i can find backs up my consultant. where does the nurse get her information, everyone else i talk to in the NHS points the figure at below 92
what is point where the blood oxygen... - Lung Conditions C...
what is point where the blood oxygen level is damaging other organs of the body .
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davidbryn
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My GP and Consultant go with 92 as the lowest point that they would be happy with. I was sent for oxygen testing because my level had dropped to 85!
Was told by my 02 nurse 89 was ok that was at rest? Val
i received this from a friend
oxygen levels will rob you of your eye sight, short term memory, and your energy. Eventually low oxygen levels will weaken your heart muscle. Read that last sentence again. It is that important.
The world is facing an epidemic of heart failure! This issue is drastically shortening life span and it is just so unnecessary!
Your low oxygen levels may precede a heart failure diagnosis, but if you are experiencing low oxygen levels, you can count on developing heart failure because low blood oxygen saturation levels CAUSE heart failure!
So how low IS too low?
Facts to Remember About Blood Oxygen Saturation Levels
When oxygen saturation levels fall below 92%, the pressure of the oxygen in your blood is too low to penetrate the walls of the red blood cells.
So, oxygen is unable to access transportation to your cells, tissues, and organs.
It is a matter of gas laws.
Every time your oxygen level falls below 92% saturation the cells of your body are oxygen starved!
4. When you fail to meet your oxygen needs, every organ in your body suffers the consequences.
5. Low oxygen levels may be present only at certain times.
when retaining excessive fluid
when airways are reacting to irritants
with respiratory illness
while sleeping (with or without sleep apnea)
about 3:00am when you wake gasping for air
with activity when your heart muscle has become weak (though isn’t technically “congestive heart failure”….. yet)
Recurring low oxygen levels are harmful and should be treated with supplemental oxygen.
If oxygen levels are low, deterioration will occur in every single incidence.
There are no exceptions to this rule.
.
Low oxygen levels are definitely something to worry about!
If you feel you may be experiencing low oxygen levels be sure to insist that your doctor check your “pulse oximetry reading”.
seem there is a lot of doubt what our o2 nurse tells us?
thanks for you replies .myob
Thank you so much for this info. I have asthma/copd and sleep apnoea. I have been pretty shocking about regular use of my inhalers, often tending to forget to take them. At no point was I told of the possible consequences of allowing my oxygen levels to drop. In fact, maintenance of oxygen levels has never been discussed. At my last sleep apnoea clinic I was told my oxygen level was low and I should use my inhalers more regularly but that was it. After all my visits to clinics, doctors etc this is the closest I have ever come to learning that there is more involved than just easing immediate breathing problems. I realise I have been stupidly naive in not doing proper research myself into the diseases I have and their possible effects. I think it was perhaps a subconscious denial on my part that I have long-term problems.
I do feel, however, that if I had been presented with a copy of the information you give when I first received my diagnosis of copd, I would have been more aware of why regular use of inhalers is necessary rather than just taking them when I have a particularly breathless spell. I find the dreadful shaking I have when I do take my inhalers quite difficult to handle so I opted for what I thought was the lesser of two evils. From your information I now know that it is quite the opposite. Had there been more emphasis on oxygen levels and less on the mechanical functioning of my lungs I might have been alerted to the dangers. Stupidly in my mind, breathlessness = tiredness = less activity and there it stopped.
Thank you once again for the information which has shone a huge spotlight on my ignorance and the dangers associated with that.
in reply to tincan
Hi, I remember the shaking well! Is this caused by the blue inhaler? I have never been able to work out why we people with emphysema are given so much asthma medication when the two conditions are not really alike. The shaking was so severe I stopped taking it altogether on the advice of my respiratory nurse. This was not really a problem because my breathing recovers well when I rest, whether I use the ventolin or not. However, I reiterate what others have said about oxygen levels - below 90/92 can cause serous problems in the longer term.
auntymary
tincan in reply to
Hi auntymary, I think it is the seretide I am on which makes the shaking worst though the blue ventolin probably does a bit as well. At times it is hard to hold things and eating can be a nightmare while going on a stepladder is now out of the question I don't want to complain about it because I think I would probably be given yet another drug to help stop the shaking and I don't want that. How does everyone know their oxygen levels? No one has ever suggested I check them though there are times I puff like an old steam-engine.
in reply to tincan
I bought a finger oxymeter to check my own oxygen saturation. I took it along to a hospital appointment and checked its accuracy against one of theirs and have used it periodically since. They are easy to use and read.
Auntymary
you can buy an oxymeter to check your own oxygen level. they are not too expensive. you can get them on ebay or you can google and find one.
Plenty on ebay 9 pound upwards..
I feel the same,discovered the truth ,that the pharmacist would be out of buisness,so carry on dishing out the steroids,no information or we maybe intelligent enough to know every thing is Money!
Don't feel bad tincan, I didn't know about all of this either until I read the post above. I knew I should try to keep levels around 90 or more, but I never knew all the damage I was causing my body if I was letting it slip below that. Doctors need to explain why they need us to do things along with just telling us to do things.
You say doctors need to explain. Don't you think patients should demand and expect explanation? Perhaps they should listen more to the specialists - and with as much concentration and enthusiasm as they use forums where the knowledge and alleged expertise of those proffering advice is unclear.
Hi Tincan,
Don't feel too bad about not knowing......it depends on your GP etc. whether you are informed about things or not. Since the NHS began in 1948, when we were given numbers, we were not supposed to know anything and just to let the doctors deal with it all, and finding information could be very difficult.
Doctors cannot hide any more, as we can educate ourselves on the internet about all sorts, including our illnesses, and we can ask for access to our records.
Enjoy your new found knowledge!
Lolly.
Not your fault at all. When your oxygen levels drop not only does it effect your bodys' muscles leaving you tired but your BRAIN too. It is also a muscle which gets effected and sometimes you can not think straight, all you want to do is lie down and sleep.
No doctor / specialist advised me either until I ended up in hospital collapsed with sats at 73. Even then they just muttered about low sats readings and put me on oxygen. Levels were better when I was discharged but I didn't last long before I felt I couldn't breathe again. So I purchased an oximeter and found sats were in 80's. Yet couldn't get oxygen at home.
I had to ask a specialist directly about SATS and long term problems and got an oh Yes answer!.
They seem to put so much emphasis on Blood pressure yet SATS are as important.
I have low blood pressure all my life and no one has ever checked my sats until my collapses. (this was my fifth one!)
Going back to work the 2nd May. My OTsat is 82 to 74 walking around I have a portable concentrator, however I'm a bit embarrassed to use it in front of co workers. I can go without for a little while but dang I know it bad I'm just so embarrassed to wear it. I'm only 47. I was fine til after shoulder surgery my lungs did not return to normal and the Doctors anent really talking.
You really need to be on oxygen. Stop worrying about your looks and pay attention to what is important.
None of us should be embarrassed to breath but rather ashamed about the truth of smoking cigs pollution and the bad stuff that we have been lied to about breathing
It is your (short) life, so do as you will. However, denying yourself lifegiving oxygen for ANY reason is, well, unreasonable. 74 to 82 is very low. Your concentrator should be able to bring your SPO2 level back up to 92+, otherwise, you need pure oxygen instead. Get an inexpensive SPO2 meter on eBay or Amazon. For the price, they may just save your life for pennies a week when priced for one year's worth of service.
I know how you feel , I have liq ox I'm saving for a portable concentrator ,it's not how I look that I worry about , it's I feel people think you have brought it on yourself, I have had people stop me and say, I bet you're sorry you smoke, I go mad at that as I've never smoked in my life, what I have was brought on by the environment , and even if I smoked sixty a day what has it to do with them, I only started using it in March and my confidence is shattered ,good luck and use it x
I'm new to all of this and thanks so much for your explanation (that is understandable)! I have no idea what mine is. Went to primary care (I'm in the US) and he just gave me rescue inhaler and offered 2 other drugs that when I asked if I really needed them and didn't want to take any meds unnecessarily he didn't give me them. I've made an appointment with a pulmonologist and I'm kind of scared hearing of me having this at moderate level already. Don't mean to whine lol Thanks again!
Thank you for this very important info I was told by COPD nurse not to use nebuliser or sats machine at home I’m having an episode been two weeks been on steroids for ten days and still struggling contacting gp in morning but spo2 92 at moment that’s resting why would a nurse tell me not to use nebuliser (normally stops hospital visits) but gp stopped prescription for ventolin nebs so I know when I go tomorrow I will probably end up at hospital oxygen therapy they call it I have to go once in while but has anyone else been told this info or was it just a stroppy nurse? Thanks for reading
She is misinformed this is a serious condition that I deal with every day. She needs to reeducate herself.
I don't think 89 at rest is ok Val, but I am no medic. Check with the helpline to be sure.
At the time thats what it was re tested mine and now sorted 
your friend was quoting heartfailuresolutions.com/3...
What a scary article! Is it to get you to buy something? Surely we all get our pulse oximetry measured given that we all have a lung disease of some kind?
I have no idea what is good and bad. My SATS are 97/98 at rest but fall to about 90 after walking for a while. I am going to add it to the list of questions I am going to ask my consultant when I see him next.
davidbryn in reply to
mine vary between 89 to 92 at rest without oxygen.. with oxygen 1lt/ min its 93 with 2lt/m its 96 with 4lt/m its 98 . all vary slightly but mainly those are the figures. from how i feel i aim to keep mine at least 96 as advised last time i saw my consultant. when i walk to the car from the house it drops from 97 to 90 . that's a distance of about 7 meters. then i plug in to the portable cylinder and wait until its at least 95 before i move off. if low oxygen affects the brain i think its wise to do that, thanks for the replies. the lowest it has got is 74, and that was a bit scary
in reply to davidbryn
Mine is 87 at rest without oxygen, dropping down to the low 60s when I exert myself. That is why I use oxygen. I use at 2 when seated and 4 when walking, though like you I find I REALLY need to plug in when I get to my car or after getting from my car to my desk.
tomcasey in reply to
Do you have portable concentrator or tanks..if port concentrator , what make is it..I am in need for a port.thanks
Bmike in reply to
EDITED by mrsmummy
I was told by my Community Matron (and my GP) that if my oxy levels fell to 85 to present myself at A & E !
funny this question arose because i had every intention of addressing this myself today. I rang the respiratory nurse yesterday and left a message for her to get back to me yesterday but she didnt so I am asking on here. Every morning richards sats are between 81 and 85, but go up when he sits to 90/91. After a short walk on 02 it can be down to 84/85 but aain goes up to 90 within a few minutes. I wanted to aske the nurse if these were acceptable readings. Can anybody advise me. thanks.
I think everyone's readings are different I try to keep my sats above 90, they do go lower when moving about your best bet would be to see if you can contact her today Val x
Hi Amagran , my sats are 96 at rest on o2 , if i go for a walk they go below 86 not sure how far though . I am getting my own oximeter soon so i will have more idea then how they are going at different times . Let us know how you get on and i will do likewise if that's ok xx . xxxx Dinny xxxx
Hi Amagran , I forgot to say that i am on a BIPAP at night now , i used to wake up during the night thinking i had dreamt of being strangled , heart racing and couldn't get enough air , really scarey , i was on o2 at night then but it didn't do the trick . The BIPAP however has certainly made me sleep better , a test showed that my sats were dropping to around 60 at times during the night . I now usually get a full 8 hrs sleep and wake up feeling i have slept too , it might be worth a mention , i didn't get mine without pointedly asking about sleep apnoea and even then i got a CPAP first for a year which helped but the BIPAP is better , for me .
hope all goes well for you when you see the Doc next , i too feel it is an urgent problem to sort out xxxx Dinny xxxx
I agree Stitch , he is lucky to have her , it must be great to have a helpful and caring partner , it would take the edge off the scartness of feeling unwell if you had someone to look after you .
Lack of info from Docs is very irritating and even worse if they fluff around too , you can't ask questions if you don't know what to ask so the BLF site is great xxxx Dinny xxxx
in reply to dinnyrayner
amagran I certainly think Richard should be on overnight oxygen - insist they check him for it asap and don't take no for an answer . P
I was told two years ago whilst in hospital and prescribed with 3 lpm oxygen 24 hours, that anything between 88 and 92 was ok for me (I stress for me), when I was discharged my oxygen levels were 88 and a resp. nurse said that was OK as my body had got use to dealing with it ! Now they are generally around 93/94 at rest. After reading the above blogs seems to me resp. doctors/nurses tend not to agree on oxygen levels.
Libby x
Hi Libby, I have recently been put on Oxygen 2L continuously. I went to the doctor for shortness of breath with activity. As long as I wasn't rushing, walking long distances or uphill I seemed ok other than being very weak. They tested my finger oxygen while sitting in the office and it was 94 to 97%. They then took me for a walk with a pulse meter on my finger. I became short of breath having to stop and hard time talking. The reading was 85-86%. They took me back to my room and put oxygen on me at 2L. Went back for the same distance this time I was 90-91%. The body needs at least 92 to 93% to give our organs what they need to work, particularly heart, kidneys, eyes, etc. Otherwise, we will have additional problems. It is best to follow with a lung specialist.
They delivered a big machine that makes oxygen along with several tanks the next day. I have to say I was very emotional because I couldn't believe I have Interstitial Lung Disease. They don't know why I have it. Guys and gals you must ask questions and keep asking until you understand. Tell them it isn't clear, they do this all day and sometimes just don't realize how little we know about these things.
My regular doctor thought my oxygen level was fine because I was sitting. He sent me to the lung specialist because of my CT scan.
Good luck all and keep walking it is great for your lungs!
I'll be glad when I get my proper hospital tests. My sats have been below 92% for most of the past year. I've just walked the short distance to my sitting room door ( about 10 feet ) and they dropped to 84%.
Puff...u need oxygen therapy!
Yep you do, the same thing just happened to me!
I have rung again today and spoken to the resp nurse, she said that readings like that will be expected with his illness, but she has made an appt for him to be reassessed next wednesday. She also suggested turning his oxy from 2 to 3 when hes out, so we'll see. Thanks for all your help.
Hi all. Without o2, my sats are in the region of about 89/91 if I'm sitting. My resp nurse came to see me one day last week: I'd forgotten she was coming and was in the garden. I walked to the living room, where I sat down and she checked my sats - 74% after walking about 15 yards! However, after about 10 mins, they were back up to almost 'normal'! I'm on 2ltr for 16 hours per day (sometimes longer depending on weather conditions/exacerbations/etc!) which I have during the evening and overnight.
I told my doctor " oh but I recover quickly, he said you are starving your organs and creating other problems like congestive heart failure and pulmonary hypertension. All not good. Can you use on oxygen concentrator? It makes the O2 instead of carrying the tank, it is much smaller and lighter. I think you would qualify because of low O2 levels. At least check. The fact your working in your garden is good for your lungs.
I thing we are all different my sats are about 94% at rest ,drop too to 80% walking 20met ,I need and use 02 when moving about and use 7hours most days .I had a 6min walking test a few weeks ago and it it took 10 min to walk 240 met with my oxygen on 4 had to stop 3 times as sats dropped to 82%useing oxygen scary .I sort of know myself when my sats are getting low ,my feet get heavy ( they feel fippy floppy) and I begin to loose focus a bit panic and drained and sleepy ,but I would'nt get a oxymeter as if I think my levels are low I sit down for a while .Resp nurse's are trained and as just reading all answer on here what in ok for one may be not go good for someone else . only by looking at our medical records can it be work out whats best for each of us Hope this helps jac
An interesting subject. In the USA alarm bells ring if sats are below 90 and you will be put on oxygen. Here in the UK not one can agree when it is bad, and how low they have to get to be bad. I often have sats down below 84% when walking, and 79% after going up my stairs. But the answer can be they will rise again when you stop and rest. So how much damage is done my repeating the low sats by activity? We do need some consensus on at what point are our organs being damaged. I am at the hospital for an assessment for ambulatory oxygen on Tuesday. So am hoping the cycle of doing damage to my body, through low sats, is coming to an end. Because I am aware every time I exercise my sats go low and I am putting myself at risk.
in reply to derrylynne
I think this is very clever to find this out,no one will let you know otherwise kept quiet there is so much that's needed with this disease,cost money.
Dearderry...pay attention to ur PR, pulse rate while looking @ your O2 level. You will see what is happening to ur heart.
I fought for almost a year to be assessed. My sats at rest were 91/92, but after excecise or climbing stairs fell to 72%. I too felt drained, panicky and lost focus, had to hang over the bannister for what seemed like ages.Resp nurse kept saying there was no money for oxygen and I wouldnt get it. Eventually I demanded to be assessed and was given oxygen. Thats why I bought an oximeter, so I had facts to fight my corner.This was also the start of severe anxiety, and I still have a stair phobia.
hi . i have been going for tests for oxygen for over 10 years. no definite answer was given. except i needed some oxygen. the last consultant i saw said i needed it 24/7. and not to try to do without it, as it can harm my other organs, a oxygen nurse told me i don't need it at all. so she cut me down to 18 hrs a day. i tried this and found i couldn't cope with this. so i saw my doctor for clarification on the matter, the outcome was that he was of the opinion to go with the respiratory consultant on the matter. so i am back on 24/7. my sats dropped to 80 when i went to the garage and had to be rescued by my wife switching my oxygen on and bringing me the oxygen pipe. the the fact of life is you always have to fight to get things done, i sometimes wonder how many people die because the have had all the fight knocked out of them and they are just left to fend for themselves,no wonder they give up.. if they want to save money i could name better savings they could make in the NHS. . p s just being treated for my second chest infection this year.the first one lasted over 2 months
in reply to davidbryn
This is so true,the anxiety it has caused me ,I buy my own oxygen but that is not allowed ,so they make it a no win situation.
Bmike in reply to
EDITED by mrsmummy
I feel that the nurses are under pressure to cut down expenditure i.e. Oxygen! breathing problems are rising in the world it has become a world problem . So yes nurse's are in the firing line cut back, cut back, cut back and if people die as a result ....(Is that good or is that bad )? Good ....to cut back .... bad to cut life ..bless you all
What is a good oximeter to get please. The reason I ask is that my patner has recently been diagnosed with IPF but he also has memory problems andI a now wonder if it is kined to oxygen levels. The doctor did not say what his oxygen levels were but I was wondering if an oximeter would be useful but there seem to be so many on the market and a wide range of prices.
they all seem be fairly accurate. don't waste your money on expensive models i have 5 varying in price some are just basic others have a low sp02 warning alarm, handy if you want to keep your levels within certain parameters, vary from £17 UPWARDS. THE ONES WITH THE ALARMS ARE ONLY ABOUT £24 regards Brian, p,s, seems a long time ago when they were over £350 out of breath easy mag
If the oxygen should be over 92 I would have died 15 years ago. If you have COPD it should not be OVER 92 an adequate level is between 88 - 92 anything over ( for a COPD patient) would increase the build up of carbon dioxide and believe me, from experience you don't want that.
are those figures with oxygen, or readings without being on oxygen ???
in reply to rogershome
ha what,my oxy is 98 99,is that good or bad ,bernice
My research indicates that this only applies to those using supplementary oxygen.
As I understand it, the function of breathing is both to add oxygen to the blood AND remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the blood.
In healthy people the respiratory drive (instinct to breathe) is governed mainly by CO2 level, i.e., if CO2 increases they breathe harder, and vice versa.
In some people with COPD this is changed so that their respiratory drive is governed mainly by blood oxygen level, i.e., when their oxygen level falls they breathe harder, and vice versa.
In such people supplementary oxygen that increases blood oxygen above 92% may cause their breathing rate to slow down, leading to a dangerous increase in CO2 level.
Spot on. x
Yes that is perfect, that is the way a healthy body works ..when it is working well . Spot on. like a well oiled machine. we however are not machines and even they have trouble starting on a cold day. Ty stilltrucking we know you are always there for us we care Ty x
I work as a community first responder backing up the ambulance service as a volunteer. The Nhs guidelines state the following:
SPo2 less than 94% give oxygen unless the patient has CPOD in which case the levels are to be maintained between 88-92%. Some CPOD patients carry an oxygen warning card and that will state what their standard and safe levels are.
Anyone with regular levels lower than 94% and not diagnosed with CPOD should consult their doctor.
I hope this helps
Yes different consultants and respiratory nurses seem to give different figures. However, after looking into it you are ok if your sats drop to 84 for a very short time. Then rise rapidly when you stop. But you have to consider that sats below about 89 are low enough to cause damage to your major organs as they cannot then function properly. The heart is the most at risk as when levels are low your heart beats much faster in an attempt to get more oxygen into your blood stream. In my case I was told 84 was fine. And paid the price. I now also have AF, an irregular heart beat, and the right side of my heart stretched a little. This was caused by low sats and my heart beating fast as a result. I consider i am ok if my sats are 90 and above. Below that at risk. Although I do now use oxygen when I am mobile. If your sats are 88 or below you should be given oxygen. Do not accept anything lower as being acceptable because it is not. you are at that stage risking major damage to your health.
If my stats drop to 84 that's when my whole body goes into pain all over each and every muscle NO that's not good for me and lower is agony for me,
my young sons oxygen levels drop most nights to the low 80,s but have been known to drop like last night to 59% his doc thinks he doesnt need 02 as his levels are on average below 92% for 18% of the night.this i dont understand as surely any time low is dangerous
In normal healthy people their blood oxygen level is 98% until of cause exercise changes that .
Yes...anything below 92
Hi David
I was prescribed oxygen in feb'14 after being hospitalized with two bad chest infections. There, I Iearnt that I am a CO2 retainer & was told that my sats should be between 88-92 as if it increases so will the CO2. So I guess. for everybody it is different.
The problem is while active how quick will oxygen fall and how long it takes to get back to a comfortable level...More questions than answers ....and so it goes on "Are the lungs bad " "is the heart bad " " is the blood circulation bad" "is there an infection " And Of cause, Is the Air bad ? But let us be happy little people happiness keeps you smiling and healthier ...Bless you all
I have copd and sleep apena. I use a cpap with oxygen use of 2 liters. Recently I went from medicaid to medicare, Medicare won't cover the oxygen use with the cpap as they say my oxygen sats do not go to 88% or less for 5 minute duration. What harmful effects can I expect as my oxygen sats range from 82% to 94% and go up and down but not for 5 minutes???
Your range should stay between 88% and 92% generally. Any thing else for your condition is dangerous. COPD patients are different from people like me, PH. What happens is the body does not get rid of the carbon dioxide so it builds up and basically smothers you. If you press the insurance company they will give you O2 24/7 if your Doctor prescribes it. Not everyone needs it all the time. My friend only uses it at night also but not during the day. Keep a record of your O2 readings during your daily activities, at rest watching TV and walking after a couple weeks give it to your doctor and he will tell you where you need to be. If your Doctor prescribes it then they can not deny it.
My meter fluctuates between 82 - 94. so I feel I can't rely on it. Is this normal with other meters
I have a level of around 96 to 97 resting. I find it all confusing! I have gone down to 92 during the day.
they had me wear a watch to track o2 level while i slept Dr said it dropped to 68%and under for 4 hours sleep apnea tests were negative(I may have slept 15 minutes under the conditions at sleep clinic Dr wanted me on oxygen and my main Dr s office kept lying to me saying they sent the referral in to my insurance finally after 5 weeks I had insurance call them they lied to them also now I have to start all over again and probably have to go another month or 2 before I get the required oxygen all because of incompetent lazy nurse and all the while getting damage to my organs BTW I have idiopathic pulmonary fibrosi,s emphysema, and chronic bronchitis
Hi,
There is a lot of information in this post (replies) which appears to be based on personal opinion and experience. This is good for undeerstanding the range of problems people with COPD experience, but does little to help you wtith your COPD. The links attached are to a home oxygen pamphlet put out by the Lung Foundation in Australia. Pages 1, 2 and 20 seem to relate to your issue (and some replies) : lungfoundation.com.au/wp-co... and to a lungnet newsletter that addresses the issues of medication for COPD: lungfoundation.com.au/wp-co...
Oximeters need to be used correctly as well - you need to follow the instructions CAREFULLY to get an accurate result - you cant just stick it on your finger...
Hope some of this helps to cut through the confusion.
I was told to take any additional prescriptive meds I may have if I go down to 90, and that below 88 I must get prompt care at a medical facility.
What I was NOT told is that if I have an exacerbation, to get emergency medical help if my breathing does not improve within 15 minutes.
This lack of information resulted in my going into acute respiratory failure and being on life support for 2 days, in ICU for 2 more days, and a total of a week in hospital - TWICE, just this past spring.
Left with crepey skin, unwanted weight loss, slightly reduced cognitive ability, slight edema in ankles.
a friend of mine who had end of life copd and whos oxygen levels never dropped below 96% could not even walk 5yds on the flat when I asked one of my consultants he said it just depends ?
For cells to to stay healthy it should be at 92 or above. When it effects other organs is when swelling cuts off circulation and oxygen supply to other organs caused by fluid build up and is why people end up with heart failure, kidney failure and other organ failure from lack of oxygen. This is why it is important to weigh your self every day. Here is a link that may explain a little better What can happen if oxygen levels are cut off for many reasons. These things can happen in some one who get pneumonia if it is severe enough. Or circulation is cut off where it can't supply oxygen to the organs. All organs need proper oxygen to be healthy.
This question has been answered to death below, but even so, there is key information missing. For instance, while in general, it is bad to have a low SPO2 level at 90 or below, as the low level induces damage to most oxygen-hungry organs--such as the eyes, the heart, the kidneys, the liver, the brain, and some other important organs--a low level that stays above at least 84 at all times is not dangerous for some people. The ones who are able to tolerate such low SPO2 levels tend to be emphysema, COPD, and other chronic lung disease patients whose bodies have learned to tolerate low levels by conserving what oxygen is taken in.
Compare these people to mountain climbers. While the mountain climbers are in perfect health, their resting SPO2 at 3000 Meters is about 89%. At every 300 Meters above that, the SPO2 drops incrementally. By the summit, a HEALTHY, prime-of-life climber with no supplemental oxygen will have an SPO2 level of around 40%! FORTY PERCENT! The only reason that they do not suffer from permanent organ damage in most cases, is due to the fact that they spend very little time at such altitudes.
Of course, anyone who spends any length of time at high altitudes can expect major problems, from brain edema, pulmonary edema, and AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness), which left untreated--usually by an emergency descent to a much lower altitude, followed by diuretics administration--can often lead to death. My point here is that even those people who are in the best shape of their lives can also suffer from low oxygen levels, as will anyone who is subjected to low oxygen levels for any reason. However, just as mountain climbers can learn to tolerate such high altitudes over time, so can low SPO2 sufferers learn to acclimatize to such low levels of oxygen. Of course, there is a bottom limit that is important to remember, at around 84% resting, but that is ONLY for people who have had years to acclimatize their bodies to such low levels.
For everyone else, any resting SPO2 below 92%, without a year or more of acclimatization, minimum, is unacceptable. The human body is remarkable, and can tolerate many normally untenable situations if given enough time to make the necessary adjustments. And while low SPO2 levels are never ideal, even worse in many cases is people who force their SPO2 levels up to unnecessary, and even dangerous, unhealthy-to-them levels. The problem is that if one does have lung disease, and one's body has acclimatized at, say, 86% - 88%, then trying to raise that level by simply adding a lot of unnecessary oxygen could be very bad, and even life-threatening.
The reason for this about-face when it comes to blood oxygenation is that forcing abnormally high levels of oxygen can make one oxygen-dependent, which is much worse than simply having a low SPO2 level. If oxygen-dependency is brought on by using oxygen unwisely, this will definitely shorten one's life, as well as making it very messy, uncomfortable, and forcing a lifelong "addiction" to oxygen, with its attendant "tether" of a lifelong need for a cannula or face mask. I don't think that anyone, if given a choice, would choose to be forever "chained" to an oxygen source for the rest of their now-even-shorter life.
Everything is a balance. Such is also the case with oxygen. It is best to allow one's body to adapt if possible, and if not possible, then use the oxygen that is dispensed. Just be certain that the person who is doing the dispensing knows as much about oxygen levels, oxygen dependence, organ damage at low SPO2 levels, and all of the other points that I have raised in my post. If they do not understand oxygenation and its important limits and levels, then find one who does. You own it to yourself and to your family, if any. After all, you (and/or your family) will be the one(s) dealing with this issue for a long time. Asking for the optimal outcome to such a situation is not unreasonable, it is the basis for survival and a good life. Do yourself a favor, and learn all you can before your visit to the pulmonologist (or whoever it is you see). You will never be sorry.
I’ve just had the same thing 13 years I’ve been on oxygen started at 2ltre then last year went upto 6 ltre on movement I went to a app last week to be told I probably don’t need my oxygen due to my levels being stable 😱 got to go back for another walk test but more strenuous in may I have a oxymeter st home and had a level of 86 yesterday after nipping out to my car and walk-in up the stairs I don’t completely trust this new nurse who I saw things can’t just make a miraculous turn around after 13 years surely ??on one hand I feel happy and the other confused x
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