Knowing when to check your blood oxygen can be tricky. We know to check it when we feel out of breath, or are having symptoms… But what about when we feel fine? Here we offer a little guidance on how often you should monitor.
Check Oxygen Levels Regularly
- Check daily when on oxygen
- Check 4 times per week or more when not on oxygen.
Do not wait until you have symptoms. Oftentimes, your blood oxygen may be getting progressively lower for a couple days before you notice symptoms. Check your vitals often to have some early warning signs, and prevent symptoms of low oxygen. Don’t just treat the lows, try to predict and prevent them.
- Before, during, and after exercise
- When you feel unwell
- When first prescribed oxygen
- During or just after exercising
- During sleep
- Traveling to a high altitude location
Takeaways
Regardless of your oxygen levels, checking oxygen levels daily helps to stay in control of your condition. You should always be aware of your symptoms, your typical, or baseline range, as that will help you to recognize false alarms versus true emergencies.