Sp02 levels (oxygen levels)

19 Sep, 2011 - 12:03 pm

I have a pulse oximeter what I put on my finger and it reads my oxygen levels and pulse. I have been recording at night and have notice that oxygen levels drop down to 76% - 80% when sleeping. Most of the time it is around (88% - 93%), which is a bit lower than normal (95%-99%).

Just wondering if anyone else has this happening to them?

Neil

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20 Sep, 2011 - 9:03 am

Welcome Neil,
Just been checking out a lot of O2 stuff this week (been hooked up to a lot of machines lately). My O2 level sat on 99% - 100% whilst I was in hospital, I guess my lungs are OK.
My Mum's goes as low as the 60s sometimes, courtesy 40 odd years of smoking...
My specialist/nursing staff tell me that part of achieving a high O2 concentration when using O2 as an abortive is also about getting CO2 out of the body.

(I know you are not making reference to O2 as an abortive here)
O2 does not abort my CH, never has unfortunately.
But I always sleep with a fan on and the window open, even in 2 degrees.
CO2 build up in any room is my enemy. It will trigger an attack quite easily.
I can't sit in a new car with the window closed.
I can't be near other people in close quarters for any length of time, the CO2 build up is unbearable. A short trip in a stuffy lift with flouro lighting is enough to set me off.
Part of the re-breather O2 mask setup (I believe) is about making sure exhaust gases (CO2) are expelled and not re-inhaled.
(Chime in here Barry!)

Maybe it has something to do with inadequate ventilation?
I also noticed my O2 level dropped a small amount when I lay on my left side, but it returned to 100% when on my right side, go figure!
Maybe it is a Cardiac concern?

I hope you don't smoke mate!
I would definitely be looking into CO2 build up, but I don't know much else about O2 levels, sorry Neil.

(I just read your other posts and now note you are an experienced O2 user. Sorry for commenting on this, I am more of a pharamaceuticals person. Just tryin to throw some ideas around!)

Cheers, Ben.This post was edited on 20/09/2011 at 9:08 am

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20 Sep, 2011 - 11:52 am

Thanks Ben.

I don’t smoke never have. But my parents did in the house when I was born til about 15 years old. It drove me mad.

I had bad asthma until 5 years old. But grow out of it. I had bad pneumonia 6 times from 2000 til 2005. I have not had it since. I can breathe better in air-con (no idea why)

When I have the oxygen on, my CH's drop in pain and I take it off and it slowly returns. it is weird

My local Doctor is sending me to other doctor. So I got things moving in the right way. I need answers it is droving me mad.

I was just mainly wondering if there is a link to low 02 levels and CH’s?

Cheers Neil.

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29 Sep, 2011 - 11:51 am

Yes, Neil. I've mentioned this before somewhere. I'm really sensitive to reduced oxygen levels. Where I work has "dead spots" , from poor design, and it's insta-trigger for me.
Not the same thing as you, of course, but low oxygen all the same. Same story on a long haul flight, in season or not.
It does sound like your lungs might have suffered some damage along the way though. Does the air-con filter the air or change the humidity or density in any way?
Maybe because there's less variation in the temperature, it's easier on your lungs?

"But I always sleep with a fan on and the window open" Bloody hell, Ben. I'm the same, except the window sometime closes
cheers peter.

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29 Sep, 2011 - 3:52 pm

X-ray off my lungs was all clear.

It is when I lay down. For some reason my oxygen levels drop to an avg of Sp02 89%. I have tried the window open, no difference.

I see the Respiratory specialist to see next month(17 OCT 11) So I am Hoping on answers then.

Cheers Neil

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14 Jan, 2012 - 9:39 am

Oxygen saturation often drops when recumbent or semi-recumbent due to the fact that breathing is less efficient in this position compared to sitting or standing. This is more evident though in those who are overweight. When lying the abdominal organs push against the diaphragm and reduce the amount it can move. This is why someone who is short of breath (eg asthma or pulmonary oedema) will nearly always want to be upright - they simply can't breath adequately when lying down.

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14 Jan, 2012 - 10:04 am

This make very interesting reading BlueDevil, Maybe this is why we get CH at night when we sleep. MANY THANKS Les

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14 Jan, 2012 - 11:37 am

Hi Folks

Doing some catch up after being away for a few days & this is interesting reading.

Firstly quoting from Ben’s post:

“Part of the re-breather O2 mask setup (I believe) is about making sure exhaust gases (CO2) are expelled and not re-inhaled”

That’s spot on, I believe I get an even better return as having a beard where I cant get a complete seal with the mask I breathe straight from the bag, that way removing any chance of the very small residual CO2 that would be in the mask & it appears that I am able to abort a hit quicker than those using the mask.

From Neil’s question:

“I was just mainly wondering if there is a link to low 02 levels and CH’s?;

Yes Neil there is a link but of course that is not the only link, there are in my opinion to many variables with CH to be able to definitely say that I get clusters only because I have a bent nose & people with a straight nose don’t get clusters , I along with others in the US have tried sleeping with a nose tube in an attempt to get out of the night time hit’s but to no avail we have still got hit & just as regular.

Blue Devil’s post is beautifully spot on, it’s been found & proven in sleep studies that when you are not active your body does not require the same amount of oxygen as you would if say you started to run which brings up another point that some people are able to abort a hit by doing vigorous exercise & this stands to reason that by breathing heavily you are expelling the CO2 & bringing in o2 at a faster rate than sitting still.

An interesting consistency here is that Ben; Peter & I get distressed in the situation where CO2 is greater than would be normal, that now leaves me thinking is it a consistency across the board & do we all get that closed in feeling be it in cycle or not, I had always put that closed in feeling down to me being a mild asthmatic that I was diagnosed with at least 15 years before I got my first CH, I haven’t been affected by asthma since I found the triggers that where setting it off but still get the closed in feeling.
It would be interesting to know if others get this closed in feeling?

Peter made the mention about air conditioning; living up north here; aircon is a basic need you simply cant get through a summer & work effectively with out getting a good nights sleep, all of the aircon’s are the refrigerated type as evaporative simply turns the already moist air into even wetter air which brings up another point, air from a refrigerated aircon has less moisture in it thereby making the air less dense & I dare say more easy to breath, well in my case it is.

Ah such ponderings on a Saturday morning.

Cheers
Barry

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15 Jan, 2012 - 3:36 am

Good ponderings though, Barry. Just thinking though- cooler air should be more dense, therefore having more O2, shouldn't it?
Another reason I feel there's a connection between high CO2 levels (or low O2 levels) and CH, is I ALWAYS get an attack on long haul flights, irrespective of being in season or not. I then go and stand in the air hosties spot- which has cool fresh (er) air being pumped in and the attack goes away.
At home I also use one of those swiss aerobic balls (like a space hopper without handle bars) to sit on- you have to sit upright- and I block my good nostril and deep breathe through the other one. It gets a bit snotty sometimes, but that's the least of my concerns in an attack. It seems to help, possibly because my minds on other things than the pain, but also possibly because i'm consciously breathing right and expelling more CO2. I also hang upside down, which really clears the sinuses and allows good deep breaths. Whatever works is good, right?
cheers peter.

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