Low oxygen level?
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Discussion

LowOx

Original Poster:

5 posts

72 months

Sunday 20th September 2020
quotequote all
Hi all
I'm a snorer so recently bought a pulse oximeter to see what was going on while I slept. Worn it for the last two nights. On both nights my O2 has dropped to a minimum of 86% - on friday the average over the sleep was 92% and last night 93%. This seems a bit low?
Also been feeling very tired and a bit breathless recently (like sometimes when I'm sitting quietly I find myself taking an involuntary deep breath and yawn a lot) so I wore the device for a couple of hours yesterday while awake. My average was 94% but again it dropped to a min of 89%.
Are these readings low? Is it worth seeing a doc?
Cheers

Hoofy

80,050 posts

311 months

Sunday 20th September 2020
quotequote all
Probably a good idea.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sleep-apnoea/

Usual cause is being overweight...

21TonyK

13,291 posts

238 months

Sunday 20th September 2020
quotequote all
I'd second a call to a Dr. Feeling tired and maybe having a snooze in the PM combined with breathlessness needs to be checked out irrespective of oxygen levels.

Mine is 95+ most of the time and I've been pretty ropey lately.

RB CV8

380 posts

230 months

Sunday 20th September 2020
quotequote all
Get it looked at.

2 years ago I started getting short of breath, accompanied by low energy and almost passing out on occasion, which went on a couple of weeks. It was a blood clot, as I found out when I had a near-fatal Pulmonary Embolism. (I'd actually been to the doc by then but that's another story....)

If I recall correctly, the hospital wouldn't let me go home until I was getting 94% unaided.

LowOx

Original Poster:

5 posts

72 months

Monday 21st September 2020
quotequote all
Thanks very much everyone. Will ring the doc today.


LowOx

Original Poster:

5 posts

72 months

Monday 21st September 2020
quotequote all
Well, spoke to a GP on the phone and explained it all.

He basically said it was likely that the equipment I was using was inaccurate, take my temperature and to go and get a CV19 test. Brilliant.

So have tried 5 times now to book a test on the NHS website, but each time it says "This service is currently very busy".

RB CV8

380 posts

230 months

Monday 21st September 2020
quotequote all
Probably quicker to buy another oximeter and see what that says.... Sounds a bit of a cop-out by the GP though.

LowOx

Original Poster:

5 posts

72 months

Monday 21st September 2020
quotequote all
It certainly had a whiff of cop out... but I'll see what the test says and take it from there I guess.

bigandclever

14,356 posts

267 months

Monday 21st September 2020
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For ‘fun’, have you tried a sleep app? I use SnoreLab. Can be quite illuminating.

LowOx

Original Poster:

5 posts

72 months

Monday 21st September 2020
quotequote all
Weirdly I've just downloaded one this very evening, called "Do I snore or grind?"

Snoring fair enough but I'm not sure I dance in my sleep rofl

Hoofy

80,050 posts

311 months

Monday 21st September 2020
quotequote all
LowOx said:
Weirdly I've just downloaded one this very evening, called "Do I snore or grind?"

Snoring fair enough but I'm not sure I dance in my sleep rofl
hehe