Any medical types around? Finger tip oxygen sensor readings question

[Squidwardrules]

Hi,

We recently acquired a finger tip oximeter at home. Generally playing around with it my dd and husband always had readings between 98% and 100% SpO2. To my mild surprise my readings are always quite a bit lower - usually between 88% and 92%. Lowest I’ve had was 85% and highest 94%.

I feel fine, not ill. I doubt it’s COVID as I had a negative test a few weeks ago and have also had my first vaccine dose.

I’m 40F, overweight but not obese if it makes any difference. Not a gym type but reasonably fit (could walk for miles if need be). Don’t have asthma but do tend to get chesty colds easily.

Having googled those numbers they seem a bit on the low side, but if I’m otherwise well does it matter?

P.S I’m not wearing nail polish or had acrylic nails as I’ve seen those can make the a difference.

Evening, oxygen sats of 88-92% are normal for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). As you do not have this, normal adult oxygen saturation’s are ideally 98-100% but definitely above 95%. If I was attending when you had readings of 85-94% I would be giving you supplemental oxygen to maintain levels above 95% and recommending a trip to a and e.
If no other symptoms (nausea, dizziness, loss of vision etc) and if you have a explaination (ie if you currently have a chest infection) as it’s been going on a while I’d contact your GP for a telephone consultation. If any other symptoms or you don’t have a chest infection at the moment then you can contact 111 tonight for further advise

I was hospitalised with Sat's like that but then I felt pretty crap and could hear the water moving in my lungs, too!

Have you tried putting it on your ear, or even your toe?
Were your hands cold when you took the reading or do you have poor circulation in your hands?

I recently seen mine was 88/89 two or three times in the last month or so and I felt absolutely fine although I do have asthma it's mild and wasn't bothering me. I've tested it a lot this last week and it's on average 94-100 , as I feel well it hasn't made me want to ring the GP but if it continued I might mention it whenever I need to see the doctor, if you're worried then maybe give your doctors a call but I do wonder if these numbers are always correct ?

Thank you all who replied. I ended up calling my GP yesterday morning and am now currently an inpatient in hospital having had blood tests, chest x-ray and CT scan done late last night.

On supplementary oxygen I am feeling a bit better but am nervously awaiting test results later today to find out what is causing it.

Moral of the story: a £15 Amazon gadget and some kind mumsnetters might possibly save your life!

Christ that escalated fast.
Hope you're ok OP!

Blimey, hope you’re ok OP!

Aw no op how scary but thank god you rang hipe everything is ok 👌

Goodness me! I hope you’re ok

Turned out to be a pulmonary embolism!

Very very glad I followed the advice on this thread. Now on blood thinners to try and break it up but still in hospital to try and work out why some other results from my CAT scans around the lymph nodes don’t look quite right.

Oh my goodness. I hope you are OK OP. Thank goodness you followed up. I hope they come back with reassuring news soon.

💐Hope you make a speedy recovery Squidwardrules, and everything turns out ok for you!

Good grief! And you felt ok?
Wow!
I wish you a full and speedy recovery @Squidwardrules
Please let us know your progress.

PS: I can't be the only one who's just fished the oxygen sensor out from under the bed!

Hi @FlatEarthling yeah I felt ok apart from the shortness of breath. I was out mowing the lawn the day before I was admitted, and actually drove myself to A&E (although in retrospect that was pretty stupid).

I think the thing they are looking at is lymphoma right now. I am going to have a biopsy next week to find out for sure as I have some symptoms but not others.

Word thing about being in the hospital is no visitors due to COVID. Being alone with my thoughts is the last thing I want at the moment

Wow Op, sorry you're in hospital but very pleased you're being assessed.

Would audiobooks/podcasts help you pass the time?

Crikey.

Well done for following your instincts and digging until you got to the cause.

I know a lot of doctors who would have just put that down to a cheap / dodgy / inaccurate sensor, erroneous use, chest infection etc.

I've diagnosed a couple of people with fairly significant pulmonary emboli whose only complaint was pretty subtle shortness of breath on exertion. The kind of thing that gets missed more and more often with today's junior doctors being run off their feet.

I think the thing they are looking at is lymphoma right now Sorry to hear that. Do you have tech with you so that you can contact family to distract you?

Thinking of you xx

Bloody hell!!

Well done for taking action, it's so easy to ignore these things!

💐

Wow goes to show doesn’t it ! I was ping to say probably a cheap monitor as mine was reading 85% but I went to hospital but I still don’t believe the readings !
Wishing you a speedy recovery !

Poor you! Hope you've found something to distract yourself and that you feel better soon. How do they treat the embolism now that they have found it?

Good heavens! I've had a PE and the pain was incredible. Hope whatever else they're looking at turns out to be nothing.

Wow I'm sorry to hear that. I'm glad you got checked and hoping everything works out ok.

How do they treat the embolism now that they have found it?
Not sure if things have changed, but I was put on warfarin for 6 months. You have to go to a warfarin clinic once a week too while you're on it, to check that the dosage is correct. They check your INR so, your blood clotting rate. Sometimes you'll get nose bleeds and if I got those, I'd reduce my dose slightly. It was 20 years ago, so the treatment for it could well have changed.