Your Oxygen Level

When your lungs are healthy and working well, you breathe in air and your body gets the oxygen it needs to keep everything working. Your blood cells are able to pick up the oxygen and carry enough to handle your body's needs. This is your oxygen level.

With injury or illness to your lungs, you may not be able to get enough oxygen into your body by breathing the air around you. This can happen with lung diseases like emphysema or asthma, or with other diseases like heart failure. Extra oxygen, called oxygen therapy, may be needed to keep your oxygen at the right level. This extra oxygen may be needed while you exercise or get more active. For some, extra oxygen may be needed during sleep. As the lung disease or other condition affecting your lungs gets worse, oxygen therapy may be needed all of the time to keep your oxygen level in a good range.

How are oxygen levels measured?

Arterial Blood Gases (ABGs) – a sample of your blood is collected in a syringe using a needle that is put into the artery. Your oxygen level, the level of carbon dioxide and the acidity of your blood are checked with this test.

What happens if my oxygen level is too low?

Because all of your body's cells need oxygen to work and live, low oxygen can affect almost every part of your body. Low oxygen is very hard on cells of your heart and brain, and other body cells that are always working and not able to repair themselves. Also, when your oxygen level is low, the right side of your heart has to work much harder to pump blood through your lungs.

How will I feel if my oxygen is too low?

You may not feel any different. That is why you may need a pulse oximeter reading or ABGs to know your level. Some symptoms you may notice include:

• Feeling very tired

• Being short of breath

• Having trouble thinking or concentrating

• Feeling drowsy

• Being irritable

• Having a blue or gray tint to your skin, nails or lips

If you have these symptoms, let your doctor know. You may need to use oxygen therapy or change the amount of oxygen you are using.