Keep track of your blood oxygen saturation levels with this handy pulse oximeter

Low blood oxygen (hypoxemia) can lead to comas and death if left untreated, which is why it’s so important to keep track of your levels! Hypoxemia can be cause by a number of conditions, including:

• Anaemia
• Asthma
• Congenital heart defects
• COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
• Emphysema
• Pneumonia
• Sleep apnoea

It is also possible to develop hypoxemia if you are at high altitudes, so even if you don’t have any health conditions it’s a good idea to monitor your blood oxygen if you enjoy activities like hiking and mountain climbing.

The measurement for oxygen in the blood is called your SPO2 – ‘S’ for saturation, ‘P’ for pulse and ‘O2’ for oxygen. It tells you how much oxygen is being carried by your red blood cells – this is an indication of effectively your breathing and circulation is working. A normal SPO2 reading is above 95%. If your reading is below 90% you need to seek medical attention – this is often accompanied by shortness of breath, confusion or headaches.

How does a pulse oximeter work?

You’ve probably seen pulse oximeters attached to people’s finger in hospitals. These little devices use red and infrared lights to measure the oxygen in your blood. If there is enough then lots of red light will be able to pass through your finger to the other side of the oximeter, whereas blood that lacks oxygen will let more infrared light through. By measuring this the Lanaform S1 Pulse Oximeter is able to quickly calculate an accurate blood oxygen percentage as well as telling you your pulse rate.

Using your new oxygen monitor

The Lanaform S1 Pulse Oximeter is really simple to use:

1. Open the clip and insert your finger into the centre of the finger guide with the nail facing upwards
2. Your result will display in seconds
3. The large number is your SPO2 reading and the smaller number if your heart rate. You can see a live graph along the top that shows how your SPO2 levels are fluctuating

This oximeter is battery powered and compact, making it easy to take anywhere with you for monitoring on the go. It will switch off automatically when not in use to conserve battery power; not that you need it as two AA batteries will last around 50 hours! The display is large and illuminated and will rotate automatically so that it can be read from any angle.