When monitoring blood oxygen for COPD regularly and your readings look stable and pretty good, you may have a question - what to do next? This article will discuss some methods to make your blood oxygen level even better.
You can increase the amount of oxygen in your blood naturally. These methods are not all proven by research, and are not a replacement for medical treatment. For people with COPD, they may not be easy to incorporate, but you could try:
- Get a Breath of Fresh Air. Something as simple as opening your windows, sitting outside, or going for a short walk increases the amount of oxygen that your body brings in, which increases overall blood oxygen level. It also may improve mood and energy.
- Quit smoking. After only two weeks of being cigarette-free, many people find that both their circulation and overall oxygen levels improve significantly. Lung function can increase by up to 30% in this short time.
- Grow some plants. Houseplants have been shown to help purify the air indoors. They remove carbon dioxide and replenish a room's oxygen levels, making more oxygen available for your body to absorb. Here’s a list of 5 plants that best oxygenate your environment, many are also verified by NASA's clean air study.
- Areca Palm (Chrysalidocarpus Lutescens)
- Mother-In-Law Tongue (Sansevieria trifasciata)
- The Oxygenating Money Plant (Epipremnum aureum ← Use the scientific name when searching)
- Gerbera Daisy (Gerbera Jamesonii)
- Chinese Evergreens (Aglaonema modestum)
- Practice breathing exercises. Pulmonary rehabilitation experts recommend using simple breathing exercises like pursed-lip breathing and deep belly breathing to open your airways and increase the amount of oxygen in your body.
You can use a pulse oximeter to check your blood oxygen level at home, and use some of these natural approaches to increase your blood oxygen level on your own. Whether you are suffering from a low oxygen level, or your oxygen levels have already stabilized, you may still improve them further by improving your environment at home. And while these are no replacement for medical treatment, they may help you make living with lung troubles that much easier.