Low Oxygen Levels (92%) via Pulse Oximeter

I bought a Pulse Oximeter today and have taken a few tests and the worst case has been 91% while the best I have seen has been 97%… Mostly about 92%… I understand that the normal range for this should be 95-100%… I am asthmatic though I never take meds… What does this mean for those in the medical field? Does it mean that I need to go to hospital to be given meds or how does one ensure that this level rises to at least 95%? I am COVID Negative but I bought this just in case…

Your fine…if its steady dipping to the 80s then 70s then 60s ndio ujue ni kubaya.
Inachapanga range ya 90 to 100% for a normal healthy being.
The more active you are the higher the % nilijiweka hio oxymetre after an evening jog…nikapata heart rate ikipanda ndio mwili iko well oxygenated.
Consult a doc lakini…hii ni experience yangu.

Pulse Oximeter just like infrared thermometers are not truly accurate, chances are that you’re fine, but for your peace of mind it would be prudent to see a doctor

I have no problem, though I thought that those who are asthmatic have different normal ranges… So, may be a reading of 91% could be normal for me… I never take any meds for asthma since it is mild… I bought it because a friend who had covid told me that it helped him detect possibilities of covid infection because he was exposed to infected persons and used it… his levels were lower than 80 when he went and got diagnosed and hospitalized… I have seen this that “A healthy person should be able to achieve normal blood oxygen saturation levels (SpO2) of 94% to 99% consistently. For patients with mild respiratory diseases, the SpO2 should be 90% or above. Supplementary oxygen should be used if SpO2 levels falls below 90%, which is unacceptable for prolonged periods of time.” - How to Interpret Pulse Oximeter Readings

Glad your okay…but before i go any further…just seek professional help.
Sonofthesoil amesema hio kitu si accurate…id like to agree with him…sazingine unaweza kuwa busy kiasi ujiweke hio oxymetre…uitoe uweke on an octogenarian whose just been lounging all day…na readings zako na zake zi ambatane…you try the same

Sorry…posted by accident…
You try the same oxymetre on the same people ndio utaona tafauti kati yako na mzee.
As for your friend…pole sana…hope alipata nafuu…thanks to the oxymetre.
Ever since covid nimeweka a health pack/kit at home ya watu kujicheck check once in a while…covid era i learnt alot nimekuwa daktari mwitu juu ya kusaidiana hapa na pale.

I havent clicked on the link yet…but have you considered the age and the condition (especially lungs) za mtu.
Wewe kama kijana barubaru hio 90 to 100 kwa SPO2 ni sawa…now imagine your grandad who lets say alikuwa mau mau akipuff some tobacco or a mwanajeshi who has a history of guffing…at that age of kuanzia 70 and kuendelea…with his lungs hawezi hit hizo 90+ bila supplememtary oxygen…(doctors in the house correct me if im wrong) utapata huyo mzae anacheza 85 to 90 na anaskuma tu sawa.
Halafu respiratory conditions…it all depends on the stage…siwezi sema gani ni mild na gani ni severe…but i can tell you huyo msee wa mild…ako restricted to a certain level of intensity in physicall activity…hawezi ji strain…and you as an onlooker huta penda kuona vile hio breathing humaliza mtu…DONT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS OR UNINFORMED DECISIONS…unaweza go ama mtu ata aga uki angalia…HII MANENO TUWACHIE DOCTORS…SAWA.
Just learn how to handle a person with such conditions…WITH THE AIM OF GETTING THEM TO A MEDICAL FACILITY…sio home treatment.
AND WEKA NUMBER YA A DOC WHO YOU CAN CALL ON SHORT NOTICE TO GUIDE YOU AS YOU HEAD TO HOSPITAL.

Sure… I will certainly see a doc… though not sure who… which specialist is that? Coz ENT ones were not helpful?

I have done the same tests to my kids who are 10 and 6 and they have around 97% So my 91-96% range must be accurate, may be…

Ingia tu hosi yoyote na uwa ambie shida yako…but for this case jaribu ka private kazuri…you cant put a price on your health.
Halafu chunga wasikuwe crafty wakuambie take a covid test…sijui uta kuwa admitted 2 3 days results zinaletwa kutoka sijui lab gani…enda na story ya asthma or pneumonia…wa anzie hapo.
Ama kama una beshte yako pia kwa hosi ya guva…pitia huko umwelezeh shida apitishe stetho kwa chest yako chap chap akupashe niaje…buy him a drink and/or you can buy the prescription from ile chemist ana recommend…au sio!?..maisha ni kusaidiana.

Let me see how this works out… Asante…

At the hospital now… Apparently my gadget is inaccurate… All 5 measurements taken read 96 and 97. Now, since I took a comprehensive test, they have diagnosed me with hypertension and some problem with getting oxygen to some part of my heart… Done ECG, Now waiting to do Echo and also see the cardiologist… Given some tablet and the pressure is now down from a high of 167/90 to 137/81… Waiting to see what all other tests read…

Final results: start treatment for HBP NOW! , the heart is okay… All other blood tests read normal… Blood oxygen levels okay… Asante for pushing me to go for the check up.

Kiongos as a fellow hypertension patient I would like to say that 137 BP reading is still high.Aim to bring it down to 120.My thrice a week runs,gym and taking one tablet daily of Amlozaar H 50mg has helped me bring it down to 115/59 compared to 210/190 when I almost died.

How are people

Asante sana… I am now on the machine every hour and it is going down to 120s… I want to observe it before taking the meds… The doctor prescribed Amlosun 5mg but I have not yet taken it… BTW does your BP rise to beyond the levels above? How do you live a healthy life because I understand that one must not eat or drink anything else the pressure will rise again?

It only rises occasionally to 130 when I have a beer or two.otherwise it ranges between 118/55 and 125/70.I live a normal life eg eating meat eggs milk occasionally chips sausages on Sundays etc.Physical activity is a must.I also constantly monitor the BP once every two days.You can live a perfectly normal life without kujinyima sana.

Okay… I will monitor it for the next one week and see how it goes… I was wondering how one can live with all nice things condemned as I have read online… What has been lacking is physical activity and to add to my overweight status, I have to work on that NOW, not even kesho…

You cannot take one reading and conclude that you have hypertension. The medic should require you to take BP readings on three days at different times. Accurate reading of BP depends on several factors, if you have been walking, taken tea or coffee your BP will be high but this is still normal. To take accurate reading, you will need to rest for some time

Please understand that once you start on some pills, you will have to take them forever. Stopping will spike your BP. Once hypertension (clinical hypertension) kicks in, it resets the BP values and they cannot go back to the original. The pills you take simply help lower the BP, they do not reverse. Pre-hypertension is reversible through lifestyle changes, hypertension is not

To lower BP especially for the Pre-hypertension, adopt a DASH diet +exercise. Lower salt intake, especially raw table salt, eat more dark green leafy vegetables, exercise, avoid stress, alcohol. BP can also run in families