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Before Covid, the last time you came in contact with a pulse oximeter was at your annual check-up or in an emergency room. But what exactly is a pulse oximeter, and in what situation would a person need to use one at home?
A pulse oximeter is a small, chip clip-looking device that uses light to quickly measure blood oxygen levels and pulse rate, also known as your heart rate. Your pulse is how many times your heart beats per minute, and it increases when you require more oxygen-rich blood to carry nutrients and energy to your muscles and cells. Oxygen saturation is a crucial measure of lung performance.
“A pulse oximeter measures the oxygen saturation on the red blood cells and we use it as a measure of how well somebody’s lungs are working and how well they’re accepting oxygen from the air they’re breathing,” says Dr. Fady Youssef, M.D., a board-certified pulmonologist, internist and critical care specialist at MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center in Long Beach, California.
People suffering with Covid may experienced an increased heart rate in response to fever or inflammation, as your heart works harder to pump more blood around to all the different parts of your body. In severe cases, the infection moves down the respiratory tract to the lungs, making it harder for your lungs to supply oxygen to the bloodstream. The Center for Disease Control suggests that people seek medical attention when they experience overt symptoms such as “trouble breathing” and “persistent pain or pressure in the chest.” Depending on the severity of your case or if you’re at at higher risk of adverse outcomes due to advanced age or obesity, your doctor may recommend measuring your vitals at home with a a pulse oximeter.
A pulse oximeter is practical for conditions outside of Covid. For patients with lung disease or who are on home oxygen concentrators to maintain healthy oxygen levels, Dr. Youssef says it may be useful to have a pulse oximeter at home. A doctor will provide instructions for when and how to take and read a pulse oximeter, but Dr. Youssef provided us with what he considers a normal range of oxygen saturation.
Read more: Best Heart Rate Monitors
“For most healthy individuals, a healthy reading is probably greater than 94 percent, but we don’t get concerned until it’s below 90 percent consistently.”
According to Dr. Youssef, not all pulse oximeters available for purchase online are legit. Pulse oximeters are FDA-approved medical devices, so you’ll want to check the FDA’s database to ensure the manufacturer and model number have been tested and approved for accuracy.
Luckily, we’ve already done the work for you and rounded up a list of the best pulse oximeters available on the market that are also FDA-approved. If you’re suffering from Covid or another medical condition that affects your lungs and want to monitor your oxygen saturation levels at home, check out the pulse oximeters below.
The Best Pulse Oximeters
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