There are many types of medical equipment required for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of diseases. These medical equipment are available in a diverse range, i.e., from simple to sophisticated, making proper selection appropriate to the population’s needs. This diversification in the range of medical equipment plays a vital role in the field of medical science.

With the COVID-19 pandemic underway, pulse oximeter has become necessary for every household, specifically those families having members with severe health issues. So, you need to know precisely about a pulse oximeter. What is its working? And more importantly, whether you need it really or not?

What is a pulse oximeter, and its working?

A pulse oximeter is a device that measures blood oxygen levels. It is a small, non-invasive, easy to use, and painless tool. It shows how well the transport of oxygen is done to those parts of the body, furthest from your heart. It is of different types- one which is fixed on a finger and others that are set on the earlobe. So, depending upon the type, it is fixed there.

It passes low beams of light through blood and measures the absorption of light by oxygenated and deoxygenated blood. Hence, it can tell the oxygen saturation levels along with heart rate. Readings in the range of 95%-99% are ideal.

How to use it?

• Clip the oximeter on the concerned body part, i.e., finger or earlobe
• The oximeter should be charged well before taking the readings because a low battery level can do the readings to fluctuate.
• Make sure that you do not press or squeeze the oximeter once you have clipped it on.
• Most of the oximeters do not require any calibration and start measuring once they are clipped.

Do you need it?

There are many cases where patients can feel restful and may not find out that they have developed hypoxia, which means that the lungs of the patient are getting involved in the disease. In such cases, waiting for the advanced symptoms like shortness of breath or relying on the clinical tests can lead to delays in treatment, and patients may become critical. So, if you monitor your oxygen levels regularly, doctors can treat you preferably before the condition worsens.

Issues with blood oxygen levels can be shown by an oximeter. Still, they may or may not be related to the coronavirus because there are many other conditions as well which can cause low oxygen counts such as Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema, asthma, anemia, and other non-COVID-19 lung infections.

Also, the pulse oximeter is of great help in detecting the ‘COVID Pneumonia’ in its early stages as amidst the most dreadful coronavirus cases, and it is considered to be a potentially lethal condition. In case if you need to buy medical equipment like oximeter and Glucometer you can check out oisto and other trusted brands that provide online purchase and support as well.

There is no necessity to panic-buy a pulse oximeter for use at home. If a patient feels hypoxia or uneasy breathing, they can get their assessment done at their nearby hospital. A pulse oximeter can help you to have some measure of control over your health, but it’s just a number that you can look at and understand- it does not tell the complete story.