Take Charge of Your Health With a Finger Pulse Oximeter

Have you heard about the benefits of learning how to use finger pulse oximeters at home?

Instead of rushing to your doctor's office with worries about inadequate oxygenation, you can now quickly and safely check your blood oxygen levels to be sure that oxygen is reaching all parts of your body in a timely manner.

The finger pulse oximeter is a self-contained fingertip pulse oximeter which incorporates the electronics and the sensor into one unit. This pocket size digital pulse oximeter is very compact, and the unit itself is placed on the fingertip as it shines two beams of light through the fingertip to sort out the color of the blood and determine the oxygen saturation level, pulse rate and pulse strength measurements.

This finger pulse oximeter utilizes their uniquely patented algorithms in an extremely handy, pocket size solution that provides accurate SpO2, pulse rate and pulse strength measurements on patients from infants to adults. This digital pulse oximeter provides clinicians with quick, accurate readings of oxygen saturation, pulse rate, and pulse strength assessment. This lightweight device combines the broad functionality of a standalone unit with the flexibility of a hand-held instrument, yet it is compact enough to fit in the palm of your hand. The finger pulse oximeter platform provides exceptional monitoring performance and enables the device to offer unique sensors that address specific clinical challenges. Because it is pocket size, a broader range of patients can be successfully monitored, without significant time lost.

The finger pulse oximeter offers the features of a conventional oximeter in a compact and user friendly configuration that delivers fast and reliable oximetry. It also provides convenience to clinicians in EMS, hospital and clinical environments. The portability of the fingertip pulse oximeters makes them a very popular choice for home use and for medical professionals who are always on the go, providing a cost effective solution for spot-checks and short term monitoring. Superior performance and unparalleled reliability put vital signs within reach anywhere, anytime.

Finger pulse oximeters can be purchased at medical supply shops or some types of pharmacies. They are usually pretty affordable and easy to use. People who have circulatory problems or respiratory disorders may be able to use a fingertip pulse oximeter to check blood oxygen readings and ensure the body is getting enough oxygen.

After purchasing one of many types of finger pulse oximeters, read the guidelines to be sure you know how to use it. Then practice placing it on the finger you will be using for oxygenation monitoring. It may be helpful to write down each reading you take from a digital pulse oximeter. If you have questions or get uncertain readings, you will have that information ready to share with the doctor if the need should arise. A finger pulse oximeter may make the difference between controlled and uncontrolled oxygen levels in your blood.

Early diagnosis can lead to an early cure. Be sure to use finger pulse oximeters correctly if your doctor prescribes one for you. Protect your health and ensure peace of mind when you purchase a finger pulse oximeter for home monitoring. You will be glad that you took this important step in checking your blood levels to be sure you are staying as healthy as possible for as long as possible.

--Michael_Jennings

Pulse Oximeter Readings - What Do They Mean?

The finger pulse oximeter detects and assesses changes in oxygen saturation in a record time. Pulse oximeter readings must be accompanied by the percentage of oxygen the person is breathing, and their respiratory rate, for the results to be meaningful.

Blood carries oxygen in two forms, the majority is bound to hemoglobin (oxyhemoglobin) and the rest is dissolved in the aqueous phase of blood (the plasma). The finger pulse oximeter measures the saturation of hemoglobin with oxygen. This is expressed as a percent saturation in which each gram of normal hemoglobin can hold 1.34 milliliters of oxygen.

The dissolved fraction is dependent upon the partial pressure of oxygen. Under normal conditions each 100-ml of blood contains about 20 ml of oxygen bound to hemoglobin and about 0.3 ml dissolved in plasma. The dissolved fraction is available to tissues first, and then the fraction bound to hemoglobin. So as tissues metabolize oxygen or if oxygen becomes difficult to pick up through the lungs the dissolved oxygen and the hemoglobin - bound oxygen will eventually become depleted. The finger pulse oximeter waits to sense the pulse of capillary blood from side of the capillaries, then using two different wavelengths of light calculates the percent of oxyhemoglobin from the total hemoglobin present. If oxygen transfer across the lungs or lung function is compromised and as tissues continue to metabolize oxygen, the percentage of oxyhemoglobin will decrease.

The pulse oximeter reading becomes the quantitative indicator of hypoxia. Pulse oximeter reading may be quantified as mild to moderate hypoxia if presented by a pulse of 90-95%. Moderate to severe hypoxia is represented by a pulse of 80-90%. Severe hypoxia is anything less then 80%, although the accuracy of pulse oximetry decreases generally below about 70%.

The primary utilities of the finger pulse oximeter are to determine the relative severity of cardiopulmonary or airway disease, monitor the effectiveness of therapy and monitor for deterioration in condition. Abnormal hemoglobin saturation is more useful to guide the physician in clinical decision making.

Suffering from sleep apnea is certainly no fun for your partner as Michael Jennings knows. Using a pulse oximeter has helped him with this problem. To find out more, visit his website on Oximeters.

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