Blood Oxygen Level Chart and Information

Introduction

When you breathe, oxygen goes through your lungs and enters your bloodstream. The amount of oxygen in your blood is called your blood oxygen level (blood oxygen saturation). Your body needs a certain amount of oxygen to function correctly. Low blood oxygen levels can lead to severe health conditions. Your blood oxygen level is the percentage of the amount of oxygen circulating in your blood.

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Measuring Blood Oxygen Level

Pulse Oximeter

A pulse oximeter is a small device that clips onto a finger, an earlobe, or an infant's foot and uses light beams to estimate the oxygen saturation of the blood (how much oxygen is in the blood) and the pulse rate. Oxygen saturation gives information about the amount of oxygen carried in the blood. The pulse oximeter can estimate the amount of oxygen in the blood without drawing a blood sample. They are used often in hospitals and clinics and can also be bought to use at home.

Using a Pulse Oximeter:

NOTE: Several factors can affect the accuracy of a pulse oximeter reading, such as poor circulation, skin pigmentation, skin thickness, skin temperature, current tobacco use, and fingernail polish. To get the best reading from a pulse oximeter:

• Always follow the manufacturer's instructions for use.
• Sit still and do not move the part of your body where the pulse oximeter is located.
• Wait a few seconds until the reading stops changing and displays one steady number.
• Write down your oxygen levels with the date and time of the reading so you can easily track changes and report these to your health care provider.
• When placing the oximeter on your finger, make sure your hand is warm, relaxed, and held below the level of the heart. Remove any fingernail polish on that finger.

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Smart Watches

Some smartwatches can measure your blood oxygen saturation level. For example, in the Apple Watch Series 6 and above, the optical heart sensor has also been redesigned to add blood oxygen measurement capabilities. During a blood oxygen measurement, the back crystal shines red and green LEDs and infrared light onto your wrist. Photodiodes then measure the amount of light reflected. Algorithms use this data to calculate the color of your blood. The color determines your blood oxygen level - bright red blood has more oxygen, while dark red blood has less.

Other Blood Oxygen Level Test Methods

• Blood gas test
• Hypoxic challenge (fitness-to-fly) test
• Long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) assessment

A full Blood Oxygen Level Test will measure:

• pH: Measures the balance of acids and bases in the blood.
• Oxygen content (O2CT): Measures the amount of oxygen in the blood.
• Partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2): Measures the amount of carbon dioxide in the blood.
• Partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2): Measures the pressure of oxygen dissolved in the blood. It helps show how well oxygen moves from your lungs to your bloodstream.
• Oxygen saturation (O2Sat): Measures the amount of hemoglobin in your blood. Hemoglobin is a protein in your red blood cells that carries oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body.

Blood Oxygen Level Chart

Healthy individuals at sea level usually exhibit oxygen saturation values between 96% and 99% and should be above 94%. At 1,600 meters' altitude (about one mile high), oxygen saturation should be above 92%. Most people have 95 - 100% blood oxygen level. However, some people live normal lives with blood oxygen levels below 95%. Slightly lower values while sleeping are expected, and some users might experience values below 95%. Some people with chronic lung disease or sleep apnea can have normal levels of around 90%.

Symptoms of Low Blood Oxygen Level

NOTE: Some patients with low oxygen levels may not show any or all of these symptoms.

• Chest pain or tightness.
• Fast or racing pulse rate.
• Restlessness and discomfort.
• Bluish coloring in the face, lips, or nails.
• signs or symptoms of low oxygen levels can include:
• Shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, or a cough that gets worse.

Causes of Low Blood Oxygen Level Reading

Blood oxygen levels can get low due to low air oxygen levels as atmospheric oxygen becomes extremely low at high altitudes such as mountainous regions. Decreased capacity of the body to take in oxygen can be caused by lung conditions that include:

• Asthma
• Anemia
• Smoking
• Bronchitis
• Pneumonia
• Sleep apnea
• Emphysema
• Pneumothorax
• Pulmonary edema
• Pulmonary fibrosis
• Interstitial lung disease
• Acute respiratory distress syndrome
• Viral infections such as COVID-19
• Decreased capacity of the heart to supply the oxygenated blood back to the lungs from causes such as congenital heart diseases (heart defects present by birth).

If Your Blood Oxygen Levels is Low

Oxygen levels may be low if someone feels short of breath, is breathing faster than usual, or feels too sick to do their usual daily activities; even if a pulse oximeter says their oxygen levels are normal, it may mean you:

• Are not taking in enough oxygen
• Are not getting rid of enough carbon dioxide
• Have an imbalance in your acid-base levels

These conditions can also be signs of a lung or kidney disease. A blood oxygen level test can't diagnose specific diseases, but your health care provider will order more tests to confirm or rule out a diagnosis if your results are not normal. If you have questions about your results, talk to your doctor or health care provider.

Information and Page References

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Cite This Page (APA): Langtree, I. C. (2022, September 1 - Last revised: 2024, April 7). Blood Oxygen Level Chart and Information. Disabled World (DW). Retrieved January 14, 2025 from www.disabled-world.com/calculators-charts/o2-saturation.php

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