How does one increase blood oxygen levels?

[creekland]

I've discovered an interesting correlation using the health measuring aspects of my new cell phone...

 

When I'm sitting for any period of time - totally unstressed - just surfing on the computer, reading, or watching TV, my blood oxygen level drops - usually to 91-92%, but sometimes down to 89%.

 

When I get up and move around or get stressed while sitting (bad phone call or whatever), it comes back up to 97-100%, right where it should be.

 

Short of never actually sitting and resting for more than a few minutes, what can I do to change this?

 

I just tried google - and it seemed to say the opposite happens - that exercise lowers it.  Well, my body forgot to read the health rules - as usual.

 

Then it said that anything below 92% is not good for the body due to gas pressure laws (which I completely understand), so I would like to change it if possible.

 

Suggestions?

 

My thoughts are to move around - or perhaps make sure hubby stresses me regularly.   :lol:

 

'Tis interesting what one can discover via these things.  Technology offers a bit - via a phone!

 

ps  pulse goes down when oxygen goes down.

[Daria]

What body part are you testing?

[sbgrace]

I was told by a sleep medicine dentist that he had noticed that those people who had sleep apnea at night due to structural issues (jaw recession/tongue falling back/etc) tended to have lowish daytime blood oxygen levels too. He felt this was bad for the body long term--that the person's body was likely under stress due to poor breathing all the time (and also swallow issues). His focus was on structural/mouth changes. But I wonder about focusing on breathing--is your sitting constricting? Are you breathing deeply from your belly or shallowly from your chest?

[Georgiana Daniels]

I have nothing useful to add--just agreeing to breathe deeply. But seriously--who focuses on their breathing all day long? That said, I'm addicted to that app on my phone too, except I'm constantly monitoring my heart rate more than my O2 level. Living like a hypo....

[creekland]

What body part are you testing?

 

This is a finger test using a sensor on the cell phone - hardly something I'd consider super reliable, but the pattern should still match.  I doubt the phone suddenly changes its capability just because I went upstairs.

 

Besides, I've had others use my phone too - just out of curiosity to see if the same thing happened.

 

New toy...

 

I was told by a sleep medicine dentist that he had noticed that those people who had sleep apnea at night due to structural issues (jaw recession/tongue falling back/etc) tended to have lowish daytime blood oxygen levels too. He felt this was bad for the body long term--that the person's body was likely under stress due to poor breathing all the time (and also swallow issues). His focus was on structural/mouth changes. But I wonder about focusing on breathing--is your sitting constricting? Are you breathing deeply from your belly or shallowly from your chest?

 

This is quite interesting.  Pretty much all of my breathing is shallow now that I pay attention to it.  It doesn't matter where I'm sitting.  I'm not really sure why that's the case TBH.  It'll be tough to change I suspect as I don't really sit around concentrating on breathing.  I don't think I have sleep apnea.  When I wake up, I'm ready to go mentally and can't stay in bed - esp since it's painful at that point to stay in bed (body hurts until I get up and move around).

 

I have nothing useful to add--just agreeing to breathe deeply. But seriously--who focuses on their breathing all day long? That said, I'm addicted to that app on my phone too, except I'm constantly monitoring my heart rate more than my O2 level. Living like a hypo....

 

I can cheat.  I can hear my pulse (in my head), so don't need the phone for that.  ;)

 

I don't know that I'd consider myself hypo as much as playing with a new toy and wanting to prevent any future medical issues - pretty much why we eat healthy most of the time and try to get exercise in, etc.  When I first noticed it I assumed it was that way for everyone, but according to my phone it's not.  Then I was curious and looked on google.  It said there can be problems (to the body) with low levels for too long, so I'm looking for ways to avoid those problems.  Since mine gets better with exercise, I don't think there's any "usual" health issue from it all.

 

But mostly?  For a science type of brain, these sorts of toys are fun - kinda like measuring blood pressure before, during, and after various activities or lack thereof.  For others, I'm sure it's all worth an eye roll!   :lol:

 

FWIW, my stress level (as measured by the phone - no clue how they do that one!) is always at its lowest when the oxygen level is low too (and pulse - but not outrageously low for pulse - usually low to mid 60s up to low 70s at rest), so that should imply a good thing - according to technology.  It's the down the road problems google suggests that I want to avoid.

[fdrinca]

A friend had liked this app/product's page on Facebook, so it occasionally shows up in my feed as an ad.

 

I've been curious about it. I find that I will often hold my breath while doing tasks. I think it's been contributing to headaches. 

 

https://www.spire.io/

 

[creekland]

A friend had liked this app/product's page on Facebook, so it occasionally shows up in my feed as an ad.

 

I've been curious about it. I find that I will often hold my breath while doing tasks. I think it's been contributing to headaches. 

 

https://www.spire.io/

 

Interesting - thanks for the link...  but I definitely don't feel like anything I ever do creates tense breathing or is anxiety related - esp sitting and relaxing and all is perfectly fine at other times.

 

And... I'm not $130 interested... esp for a toy that does nothing else.  (My phone does tons.)

 

It's cheaper to get up and walk around TBH.  

[scholastica]

Do you slouch when you sit? If you do, you may not be filling your lungs when inhaling. If you sit up straight and lengthen your torso, you will breathe more easily, and probably get more oxygen.

[brehon]

Do you see just a number or do you also see a waveform with the SpO2 reading?

[wintermom]

Higher iron levels in the blood can increase O2.

 

A little more invasive: exercise at high altitudes. Some athletes do this before very big competitions, like the Olympics. Great excuse to spend time in the mountains! ;)

[Janeway]

I would question this accuracy. If your sitting O2 levels were really dipping, this would be a matter to take up with the doctor. It could indicate a heart problem.

Edited February 12, 2017 by Janeway

[creekland]

Do you slouch when you sit? If you do, you may not be filling your lungs when inhaling. If you sit up straight and lengthen your torso, you will breathe more easily, and probably get more oxygen.

 

I'm usually in a recliner when testing (the resting part) and only started really testing a few days ago when I had a cold causing my pulse to get into the 100s, so I don't have a lot of reliable data yet.  I noticed it then, but attributed it to the cold.  Now the cold is 100% gone, the pulse is back to 60s to lower 80s (resting), but the blood oxygen levels remain similar to what they were with the cold.  That sparked curiosity.  

 

I have very little data from pre-cold days, but looking back on what was saved, there were some lower numbers then too.  I suspect they were when resting, but don't really know.

 

I don't know that I'll get to do a lot of testing over the next month TBH.  Lots of activity is planned most days, so at least it's fortunate that all seems just fine with activity.

 

Do you see just a number or do you also see a waveform with the SpO2 reading?

 

It comes with the wave form - which can be really cool to look at with lower readings - lots of dips and spikes and similar.  It can also take it a while to register during those times.  When "normal," so is the wave form (I think it's a solid correlation - I'd have to pay more attention for sure).  I guess it could be the sensor now that I write this part.  I might have to try hubby's phone more.

 

Higher iron levels in the blood can increase O2.

 

A little more invasive: exercise at high altitudes. Some athletes do this before very big competitions, like the Olympics. Great excuse to spend time in the mountains! ;)

 

That could be the problem.  The last blood test had low Fe % Saturation... but iron levels aren't low.  Nonetheless, we're upping the iron to try to counteract that (doctor suggested).  I'll see if that gets rid of the problem.

 

I would question this accuracy. If your sitting O2 levels were really dipping, this would be a matter to take up with the doctor. It could indicate a heart problem.

 

From what I read on google, this is a problem if the levels drop with activity.  Mine seems to do the opposite.  I've been sitting in my chair for half an hour now and the level has gone from 97% (when up and having finished a shower) - matches the 98% just getting up - to 95%.  I need to get up really soon as we're leaving for church in half an hour, so can't test it further, but I bet if I stayed here surfing it would continue to drop.

 

I just went back and checked pulse.  That was 69 getting up and has been a steady 83 since then (twice), so it might not be related to pulse after all.  These measurements are too close to call anyway.

 

Oh well - something to play with and try to notice patterns on when I have time.  Right now... gotta get other things done.

 

Thanks for your thoughts everyone.  I'm going to guess either breathing changes or iron levels are affecting it as my top suspicions.  Hopefully adding more iron will help.

[Joules]

As a totally different idea, I think it might be a circulation problem confounding the pulse-ox results.  When you are still, the blood is not circulating sufficiently depriving the extremities.  So you might have a fine oxygen level in your blood overall, but not enough blood in your extremities to measure it.  Do you happen to have Reynauds?  Nurses usually warm up areas (like rubbing the hands) before they test with a pulse oximeter to make sure there is sufficient blood flow to test.  (Here's a little information http://www.rtmagazine.com/2007/02/pulse-oximetry-and-low-perfusion/ )

 

I can't remember if you have lung or breathing problems. In my experience having an actual pulse-ox of 89% would likely cause symptoms...shortness of breath, rapid heart rate, chest pain, headache, fogginess.  Definitely see the doctor because depriving the brain and heart of oxygen causes lots of damage.  On the other hand, if it is a circulation issue, depriving the extremities of blood and oxygen can also cause problems (just less lethal), and needs to be addressed.

 

 

 

[brehon]

Hey Creekland! Generally speaking a poor or variable pleth wave (the SpO2's waveform) means that the reading is not accurate. This is definitely true for EMS & hospitals (which pay attention to such things <ahem>) with our high dollar monitors. If you're fingers are cold, that will also affect the accuracy.

[ktgrok]

As a totally different idea, I think it might be a circulation problem confounding the pulse-ox results.  When you are still, the blood is not circulating sufficiently depriving the extremities.  So you might have a fine oxygen level in your blood overall, but not enough blood in your extremities to measure it.  Do you happen to have Reynauds?  Nurses usually warm up areas (like rubbing the hands) before they test with a pulse oximeter to make sure there is sufficient blood flow to test.  (Here's a little information http://www.rtmagazine.com/2007/02/pulse-oximetry-and-low-perfusion/ )

 

I can't remember if you have lung or breathing problems. In my experience having an actual pulse-ox of 89% would likely cause symptoms...shortness of breath, rapid heart rate, chest pain, headache, fogginess.  Definitely see the doctor because depriving the brain and heart of oxygen causes lots of damage.  On the other hand, if it is a circulation issue, depriving the extremities of blood and oxygen can also cause problems (just less lethal), and needs to be addressed.

 

I agree with all this...i'm thinking circulation is lower then. 

[creekland]

As a totally different idea, I think it might be a circulation problem confounding the pulse-ox results.  When you are still, the blood is not circulating sufficiently depriving the extremities.  So you might have a fine oxygen level in your blood overall, but not enough blood in your extremities to measure it.  Do you happen to have Reynauds?  Nurses usually warm up areas (like rubbing the hands) before they test with a pulse oximeter to make sure there is sufficient blood flow to test.  (Here's a little information http://www.rtmagazine.com/2007/02/pulse-oximetry-and-low-perfusion/ )

 

I can't remember if you have lung or breathing problems. In my experience having an actual pulse-ox of 89% would likely cause symptoms...shortness of breath, rapid heart rate, chest pain, headache, fogginess.  Definitely see the doctor because depriving the brain and heart of oxygen causes lots of damage.  On the other hand, if it is a circulation issue, depriving the extremities of blood and oxygen can also cause problems (just less lethal), and needs to be addressed.

 

This idea I like (as in, seems to fit, not just picking out of a barrel).  What I was reading online with low oxygen just wasn't fitting what I feel at all - esp with not getting worse with exercise.

 

Yes, I am often cold - esp hands - cold enough that 90+ year old ladies at church mention it to me along with our neighbor (who's an ER nurse - and suggests I get it checked out) and occasionally nurses drawing blood.  Once in a while that leads to finger (or toe) discoloration (red, black, blue), but only rarely - four or five times I can remember, and the extreme coldness happens pretty much all the time when I'm still.  I've also noticed the phone having a much tougher time getting a reading - sometimes impossible - when my hands are cold.  I usually have to warm them up first.

 

It makes quite a bit of sense with distorted readings (when they occur) and I'll keep it in mind when looking at any in the future.

 

Interestingly enough...I have mentioned the extreme coldness to doctors (two now) and they don't feel it's any sort of problem, esp since it doesn't happen in their offices. ("Hmm, you don't feel cold to me.")  I'm at a loss on how to combat that one.  It doesn't happen when I'm up and active or have adrenaline from stress (like at a dr visit).  It happens almost all the time when I'm not active or stressed - even in warm weather.  I'll be the one in FL pulling on my jacket when everyone else is in shorts if we're just sitting around playing games or eating - and the jacket really doesn't seem to help.  If I stay still long enough, I'll start shivering, but I tend to get up and move around rather than letting it get that far.  The later it is at night, the worse it all gets.  Sleeping resets things - always.  I wake up fine in the morning.

 

My family/friends have found it an interesting quirk we all laugh about (or get frustrated with pending mood at the time), but nothing more has come of it since the doctors don't feel it's an issue.  

 

 

Hey Creekland! Generally speaking a poor or variable pleth wave (the SpO2's waveform) means that the reading is not accurate. This is definitely true for EMS & hospitals (which pay attention to such things <ahem>) with our high dollar monitors. If you're fingers are cold, that will also affect the accuracy.

 

This, coupled with the above, is really good to know.  Thanks!

 

Gotta learn all we can about the ability and restrictions of these new toys.  ;)

[scholastica]

This idea I like (as in, seems to fit, not just picking out of a barrel). What I was reading online with low oxygen just wasn't fitting what I feel at all - esp with not getting worse with exercise.

 

Yes, I am often cold - esp hands - cold enough that 90+ year old ladies at church mention it to me along with our neighbor (who's an ER nurse - and suggests I get it checked out) and occasionally nurses drawing blood. Once in a while that leads to finger (or toe) discoloration (red, black, blue), but only rarely - four or five times I can remember, and the extreme coldness happens pretty much all the time when I'm still. I've also noticed the phone having a much tougher time getting a reading - sometimes impossible - when my hands are cold. I usually have to warm them up first.

 

It makes quite a bit of sense with distorted readings (when they occur) and I'll keep it in mind when looking at any in the future.

 

Interestingly enough...I have mentioned the extreme coldness to doctors (two now) and they don't feel it's any sort of problem, esp since it doesn't happen in their offices. ("Hmm, you don't feel cold to me.") I'm at a loss on how to combat that one. It doesn't happen when I'm up and active or have adrenaline from stress (like at a dr visit). It happens almost all the time when I'm not active or stressed - even in warm weather. I'll be the one in FL pulling on my jacket when everyone else is in shorts if we're just sitting around playing games or eating - and the jacket really doesn't seem to help. If I stay still long enough, I'll start shivering, but I tend to get up and move around rather than letting it get that far. The later it is at night, the worse it all gets. Sleeping resets things - always. I wake up fine in the morning.

 

My family/friends have found it an interesting quirk we all laugh about (or get frustrated with pending mood at the time), but nothing more has come of it since the doctors don't feel it's an issue.

 

 

 

This, coupled with the above, is really good to know. Thanks!

 

Gotta learn all we can about the ability and restrictions of these new toys. ;)

With the cold hands, I thought of Raynaud Syndrome. A neighbor of mine had it and had to wear gloves a lot sooner in the season than anyone else to keep her hands warm. Otherwise, they would change color,

[Laura Corin]

With the cold hands, I thought of Raynaud Syndrome. A neighbor of mine had it and had to wear gloves a lot sooner in the season than anyone else to keep her hands warm. Otherwise, they would change color,

Hobbes has Raynaud's. He is now on medication because of unbearable itching, but he still has to work to keep warm.

[creekland]

So... just for thoughts.  I've been sitting (surfing and playing computer games) now for right around 2 hours keeping the hand warm by tucking it next to my body.  I've measured twice with the pattern very reliable looking.

 

The first measurement was 95% and 84 bpm about 1 1/2 hours into sitting (after doing some chores and fixing lunch).

 

The second was 94% and 87 bpm 20 minutes later.

 

I have no idea why the bpm is higher than "my" usual of 60s to 70s - but it's accurate based upon what I hear IRL.  My inclination after reading this thread is to get up and move around to "fix it."  Does that match what others would do too?  I don't know if I want to sit here and test more TBH.  Both readings could be interchangeable with MoE I suppose, but the trend is always to go down (since I started paying attention a couple of days ago).

 

Perhaps in an ideal world this would be something to run past a doctor, but at least in my real world doctors are far less concerned about most things the Hive deems important enough to see them.  (eg, I haven't been hungry in 3 years now plus have limited amounts I can eat on a given day and Hive folks say that could be a problem.  The last two doctors have said, "You're fortunate!  Enjoy it.")  So far, mentioning anything about feeling as cold as I do has been shrugged off as I previously related.  I don't foresee that changing.  Therefore, I need to come up with something I can do to "fix it" myself - and will hope that in general increasing my iron level to help increase the % Fe Sat will help overall - even though my iron wasn't low, but... it's still worth a try.

[wintermom]

Just out of curiosity, why are you doing all this self-testing? Are you feeling generally ill or worried about your health? 

[creekland]

Just out of curiosity, why are you doing all this self-testing? Are you feeling generally ill or worried about your health? 

 

This one came about solely due to hearing how fast my pulse became during the cold I had.  Since I can hear it whenever it's quiet, it was really noticeable when it went from 60's-70's to over 100 for a couple of days.  I used the phone as an easy way to see how fast it was (highest was 123 if I recall correctly).

 

From that I noticed the Oxygen levels and got curious when that didn't fix itself as the pulse did.

 

Overall... I've had health issues going back 4 1/2 years now.  3 years ago I decided it was worth it to have them looked into.  That's when they found the benign brain tumor I have - and treated it with 30 days of radiation (as it's in an inoperable position).  That fixed that problem (not the symptoms - vision - associated with it as the tumor is still there, just not growing).  What I haven't been able to get doctors to do is look further into other symptoms I have.  They like to stop and blame it all on the tumor or radiation even though the radiation/tumor docs say it isn't the cause and even when some of these symptoms pre-dated radiation.

 

We (all) know it's not another tumor, but that's where they (Johns Hopkins) stop looking and want me to just take meds to suppress the other symptoms.  I'd rather not take the meds as they come with side effects I don't need, want, or currently have.  I have point blank asked them to consider vascular and get told, "no."  They see no vascular problem in person, I don't get tired (a big symptom usually), and therefore they conclude it isn't a problem - no tests at all needed.  My family often doesn't have classic symptoms of anything - from pregnancy to carpal tunnel to my mom's cancer that came as a surprise.  I prefer test results to "best guess based upon symptoms."

 

IF the symptoms stayed steady, I've gotten used to them and could deal with it.  Most days I deal with it and think nothing of it.  However, there are days when things get very painful making it impossible to ignore (esp chest pains, back of the head pains, ear pain - left side, and the latest, neck pain from something around the throat, but higher than the thyroid that can lead to swallowing liquid issues when it's bad, but so far, that's only happened twice for a few days each time).  New things occur once in a while too (the neck pain being the latest - from last Nov).  Some come and go making them non-issues.  Some come and go, but then come back and gradually get more constant - progressing to constant.  (Trigiminal nerve numbness on my left side fits this, and it will be very problematic if the neck issue does this too as swallowing is rather important.  Right now I don't know if it will or not though.)

 

Being a science person, I believe everything has a cause.  Looking up head info on where my tumor is, etc, I'm inclined to mostly agree with the tumor/radiation docs that it's not related to the other stuff.  So... something has to be causing it.  If doctors won't look into it, I'm on my own to figure it out and if there's anything I can do about it.  Mostly I've given up and adopted the Que Sera, Sera attitude, but when something odd comes up - I tend to check into it - just in case it leads to either an answer or something I can modify about my own behavior to make things better.  It's curiosity, but gets higher emphasis on bad days and I just finished a section of 3 bad days.  I was a little hopeful that this might lead to answers TBH, but I'm also realistic enough to know it might now - probably won't.

 

Enough comes up that says "vascular" to make that still my best guess, but without them being willing to do any actual testing in that realm, it remains only a guess.

 

My whole family and IRL friend group is stymied as to why they won't check into things, as am I every time I hear on the Hive "check with a doctor," but there you have it.  Their view is take the meds, suppress the symptoms, and be happy.  Mine wants to figure out the puzzle.

[wintermom]

That definitely helps explain why you'd be interested in managing various health measures, Creekland. Sorry you've had to deal with so many issues.

 

 

[Katy]

You could have asymptomatic walking pneumonia.  You could have a heart problem.  You could have iron deficiency anemia.  You could have a host of other things that are less common.  I can tell you that one of the first things they tell you in nursing school is that if a patient has a pulse ox below 97% it needs to be reported on their chart and if it's routine it needs to be reported to their doctor.

 

If you're having symptoms that are bothersome to you, I'd go in to a less prestigious family doctor or nurse practitioner.  Hopkins is one of the best hospitals in the world, and you might find that when it comes to obscure, fixable problems they're incredible; but with other, vague, less specific and more difficult to fix problems you might find going to a less prestigious clinic or a nurse practitioner - where they are able to understand quality of life issues can be more important than symptoms checking a certain box - to be more helpful for this sort of situation.

 

I went to "The best neurologist in the country" and was frustrated with my chronic problem, but nurse practitioners and a family doctor with a degree from Puerto Rico were actually more helpful in the long run because they were more focused on quality of life and fixing what was bugging me than they were in curing the incurable.

[creekland]

That definitely helps explain why you'd be interested in managing various health measures, Creekland. Sorry you've had to deal with so many issues.

 

Yeah, let's just say I've learned quite a bit over that time period - far more than I ever thought I would going "in" to it.  Everything started just as one would figure it would.  Go in with a problem.  Original doc realizes it's more than he can handle and finds the correct specialist.  Correct specialist figures it out in literally one appt (and tests).  Transfer to those who handle it (radiation).  Done.  (With appropriate check ups.)

 

Silly me thinks it's always that way... but it's only that way when an original doctor agrees there's a problem and is willing to find the right specialist.  Miss out on those and one finds out there are gatekeepers that you just can't get past.  Thinking you might actually be part of a partnership and being willing to do some searching on your own - coming up with reputable sources with ideas - gets one told to "stay off the internet."  (I tried two different doctors.  While one was nicer than the other, both essentially said and did the same thing.)

 

Last July/August(?) I decided to swear off all doctors - Que Sera, Sera, but over time I figured that was a bit extreme considering if I broke a bone I'd want to have that fixed rather than DIY.   :lol:   Thinking my thyroid was going bad (something  I was guaranteed would happen from radiation) and knowing that would be an easy fix, I found myself grateful that hubby's doc (new to me) was willing to take on another patient in spite of having a full load.  It ended up that my thyroid is just fine (even after she tested Free T3 and Free T4), so I get to add those symptoms (being cold is one of them) to the mystery.  Then that low % Fe Sat came back unexpectedly low from a DIY community multi-phasic blood test - just what I needed - another piece to the puzzle, but in a color I didn't even realize was IN the puzzle.   :glare:

 

For now I'm taking her advice and just upping my iron intake (pill form).  Hopefully that will fix it.  But I have no delusions that she'd be the least bit interested in trying to solve the rest - so still putter with that on my own as my brain/body directs.

 

In general, the Hive has been a better asset for questions and leads to follow than any doctor has anyway considering this is something either weird/rare or my symptoms (or lack thereof) are weird.  But I'm stuck when it comes to anything other than blood tests, so... I can't do much else other than modify my lifestyle.

 

And honestly, if I were solo - no hubby or boys (I don't care that much about other relatives) - I'd just call it a life and be done with it.  Since I'm not and most days aren't bad days, I just chug through those reminding myself that not-so-bad days will follow.  I've warned them that if the time ever comes when there aren't so many not-so-bad days I'm still calling it a life.  They completely understand.  I don't know if that time will come or not - or if the body will fix itself eventually.  Time will tell.

 

And in the meantime, if middle son ever makes it into med school, he's my medical hope for the future.  I don't have a problem with his believing me.   :coolgleamA:

[creekland]

I can tell you that one of the first things they tell you in nursing school is that if a patient has a pulse ox below 97% it needs to be reported on their chart and if it's routine it needs to be reported to their doctor.

 

Ah, but it won't be.  Even on my phone if I'm up and active or stressed (sitting and got some distressing news via a phone call the other day), the movement and/or adrenaline ups that number to 98-100% every time.

 

And there really aren't symptoms of low oxygen in general.  I get winded walking up small inclines on walks or climbing more than one set of stairs, but not so much that I need to stop.  Just resuming the walk on flat ground is fine - no pause needed if I can do that.  (I haven't tested any numbers with either of those situations.)  It's been that way for over a year now - so has been reported to one of the two doctors mentioned above and "it's nothing to worry about."  I admit to agreeing with that - I just found it odd that I'm the only one walking (in my circle) who has these issues - so wondered if it meant anything.

 

I don't do strenuous exercise, so have no idea how long I could jog or bike or similar.  We hike (mountains are rougher on me than my family, of course), snorkel, walk, and do chores around the farm.  That's my regular life - hubby's too as we're usually doing things other than chores together.  Hikes can run up to 9 miles or so now.  We used to go up to 12-15 in the old days, but haven't done that in quite some time.

[Guest]

I haven't read alll the posts but I wonder if you have ever heard of Square Breathing. I tend to breathe shallowly but when I make a little effort to do Square Beathinh it usually fixes whatever called my attention to my breathing--coldness, anxiety, light-headedness and so on.

[Georgiana Daniels]

 

 

I don't know that I'd consider myself hypo as much as playing with a new toy and wanting to prevent any future medical issues - pretty much why we eat healthy most of the time and try to get exercise in, etc.  When I first noticed it I assumed it was that way for everyone, but according to my phone it's not.  Then I was curious and looked on google.  It said there can be problems (to the body) with low levels for too long, so I'm looking for ways to avoid those problems.  Since mine gets better with exercise, I don't think there's any "usual" health issue from it all.

 

But mostly?  For a science type of brain, these sorts of toys are fun - kinda like measuring blood pressure before, during, and after various activities or lack thereof.  For others, I'm sure it's all worth an eye roll!   :lol:

 

FWIW, my stress level (as measured by the phone - no clue how they do that one!) is always at its lowest when the oxygen level is low too (and pulse - but not outrageously low for pulse - usually low to mid 60s up to low 70s at rest), so that should imply a good thing - according to technology.  It's the down the road problems google suggests that I want to avoid.

 

Omgoodness....I LOVE taking my blood pressure! I'm such a weirdo  :lol:  

 

I always wondered how it measured stress too--I can't imagine that it's terribly accurate. But yeah...I don't do it all just to be science-y...I really am a hypo....

[creekland]

I haven't read alll the posts but I wonder if you have ever heard of Square Breathing. I tend to breathe shallowly but when I make a little effort to do Square Beathinh it usually fixes whatever called my attention to my breathing--coldness, anxiety, light-headedness and so on.

 

Never heard of Square Breathing, so a little later today I'll google it to see what it's all about.  That way I can also check off the box for "Learn something new every day!"  ;)

 

Omgoodness....I LOVE taking my blood pressure! I'm such a weirdo  :lol:  

 

I always wondered how it measured stress too--I can't imagine that it's terribly accurate. But yeah...I don't do it all just to be science-y...I really am a hypo....

 

It's not really accurate at all with stress IMO.  It will always say my stress is lower as long as my pulse (and even O) levels are lower.  Pulse being lower I get - less stress on the body regardless of what the brain is thinking.  O levels lower mean less stress?  If those are true numbers - seems that stresses the body more.

 

I've quit measuring that one and just stick to the %O as that gives me pulse and O.

 

I've quit having it assess my sleep quality too.  It considers "great" when you hit your ideal bedtime even if you don't rate your sleeping as decent.  Miss that bedtime - even if you get more hours and rate the night 5 stars - and it will list is as "poor."  That one annoyed me.  I played with it for about a week - maybe two - before giving up.

 

I like the step counter, but it's not super accurate.  Either that or some days it takes me 9 steps to get to my bathroom from our bedroom and other days it takes 25...  In general with that, I like that it measures our walks.  That part seems accurate (it seems to use google).  We used to just guess before having this nice little gem.  Our guesses were pretty good, but in general, a little short.  When we go away from home to walk this feature is super useful when we wonder how far we went.

 

I'm sure my doctors consider me hypo at this point.  It's another reason to stay away TBH.  If they're not going to do anything anyway, why add bad things to the chart?  

 

This tool is just one I've added to my "taking care of myself" toolbelt.  The best one is our community health places offering open to the public multi-phasic blood testing inexpensively.  That allows anyone who wants to to keep track of everything from blood numbers to basic heart, kidney, and liver functioning tests (and glucose, sodium, iron, etc - 30+ tests in all for $65).  I used to monitor my own blood sugar prior to that (since both sides of my family are/were diabetics).  Now I don't have to.  Well, I do, but just via these tests twice per year.

 

I got hung up on taking BP for a year or so after it would always be high in doctor offices - high enough they wanted me to go on meds for it.  At home though, it was always normal or low (almost always).  I worried about "home" being wrong, but home matched other places like donating blood... so I'm pretty sure home is more correct.  My body just gets stressed at Dr appts.  It does ok when I know/like/trust the doctor (as with carpal tunnel surgery after a few initial appts), but that's rare.

[Katy]

Ah, but it won't be.  Even on my phone if I'm up and active or stressed (sitting and got some distressing news via a phone call the other day), the movement and/or adrenaline ups that number to 98-100% every time.

 

And there really aren't symptoms of low oxygen in general.  I get winded walking up small inclines on walks or climbing more than one set of stairs, but not so much that I need to stop.  Just resuming the walk on flat ground is fine - no pause needed if I can do that.  (I haven't tested any numbers with either of those situations.)  It's been that way for over a year now - so has been reported to one of the two doctors mentioned above and "it's nothing to worry about."  I admit to agreeing with that - I just found it odd that I'm the only one walking (in my circle) who has these issues - so wondered if it meant anything.

 

I don't do strenuous exercise, so have no idea how long I could jog or bike or similar.  We hike (mountains are rougher on me than my family, of course), snorkel, walk, and do chores around the farm.  That's my regular life - hubby's too as we're usually doing things other than chores together.  Hikes can run up to 9 miles or so now.  We used to go up to 12-15 in the old days, but haven't done that in quite some time.

 

Huh.  What's your resting pulse rate?   What altitude do you live at?  Do you show any signs of dehydration?

 

Is it possible you're in better than average shape heart-wise so your body is more efficient at carrying oxygen so your body simply doesn't demand you breathe as deeply when you're at rest and don't need as much oxygen?

 

 

ETA:  I always love a good health puzzle too.

Edited February 13, 2017 by Katy

[KungFuPanda]

I'd be asking if my oxygen levels are supposed to be 100% ALL the time. If levels change when your activity/breathing rate changes, maybe that's how it's supposed to work. I'm guessing there is a range of "fine and healthy" that doesn't mean you must sit at maximum oxygen capacity at all times. You'll have to investigate, but if it ain't broke . . . .

[StephanieZ]

 

ps  pulse goes down when oxygen goes down.

 

LOL, unless you are me. :)  

 

I recently had an allergic reaction to an antibiotic, and I was having trouble getting enough air for my comfort. My o2 was around 88-91 and my HR was 130s. For hours . . . It was very uncomfortable. Eventually, a steroid injection got the allergic reaction under control, some supplemental oxygen resolved my panic, and my oxygen sats eventually went back to normal . . . it took about 24 more hours for the steroid to work its way out of my body and my pulse to really come back to normal (70s), though, because steroids inevitably raise my HR, too, lol.

 

Actually, when my mom was in respiratory failure and on oxygen and we couldn't get her oxygen above 80s or so, her pulse was CRAZY high, like 140s-150s continuously for days until she died. (And she was in her 70s, so that's crazy high.) 

 

Dh explained to me (he's a vet) that anything that stresses you can likely increase your HR. So, if you're struggling for oxygen or in pain or whatever, your HR typically goes up. 

 

I guess this stuff is very complicated. :) 

[creekland]

Huh.  What's your resting pulse rate?   What altitude do you live at?  Do you show any signs of dehydration?

 

Is it possible you're in better than average shape heart-wise so your body is more efficient at carrying oxygen so your body simply doesn't demand you breathe as deeply when you're at rest and don't need as much oxygen?

 

 

ETA:  I always love a good health puzzle too.

 

Puzzles!  I like them better when they aren't health related TBH.  I'm not even sure if all the pieces fit into one puzzle or if there is more than one mixed in.

 

My resting pulse rate normally can drop to 60 or be up at 80.  Usually 65-75 is common.  

 

I had to google our elevation.  Our zip code is listed at 443' and we have rolling hills, but not mountains, so it won't be far off from that.  Height doesn't change issues though - at all.  If you want minor details of the puzzle, most of the time my ears don't even pop - or feel the need to - on hills/mountains (when we travel).  They're somehow doing it as they should without my being able to feel it most of the time.  On better days I might feel it once or twice.  On worse days it can get a little painful, but not super bad.  My eyes don't water with onions anymore either.

 

Dehydration - no - not via skin signs, etc, BUT, I've found the head related issues get worse when I drink too much and what's recommended is too much.  I rarely get thirsty (some, but it takes a bit) so I let my body lead on that while hoping the kidneys can handle it.  I also need daily salt.  The kidneys filter out extra, of course, but if I skip salt, my head definitely feels it.  Fasting Na tests hover one or two points above low.

 

I do actually think my body handles most things well.  All the typical stuff my similar aged lunch buddies deal with (fatigue, muscle aches/pains, anxiety, trouble sleeping, etc) I don't have.  Also, since I sub at school, I follow right behind teachers who are sick (colds/flu) and there are always sick kids in class.  I rarely get colds though.  This last one is probably my first in a couple of years and I blame that more on my sleep pattern being off and a bit of stress I'll admit to due to my mom's health issues.

 

All that said, today is back to being a better day.  I definitely appreciate those.  I wish it would last, but this thing cycles unpredictably - making me strongly suspect some sort of inflammation that builds up somewhere, breaks through "something," and then feels mostly good for a bit before building again.  At least I think that's the probable cause for one of the puzzles if there's more than one.  I've tried my darnedest to find a common denominator - food, weather, allergies of some sort, level of exercise, etc.  The only one that seems partially related is level of exercise (with none or little being bad, but a lot of upper body exercise - like multiple water buckets for ponies or kayaking) also seeming to fall on the bad side.  

 

Still, on good days like today, I don't really think about it at all except to think the body just might be getting around to fixing itself.  ;)  The constant stuff is all still here, but comparatively, that's a breeze to deal with vs pain.

 

I'd be asking if my oxygen levels are supposed to be 100% ALL the time. If levels change when your activity/breathing rate changes, maybe that's how it's supposed to work. I'm guessing there is a range of "fine and healthy" that doesn't mean you must sit at maximum oxygen capacity at all times. You'll have to investigate, but if it ain't broke . . . .

 

The only reason I noticed is due to the warning sign on the phone.  Health-wise, I don't feel any differently at 100% than at 91% (the lowest reliable reading using the "steady wave" advice from above.

 

 

LOL, unless you are me. :)

 

I recently had an allergic reaction to an antibiotic, and I was having trouble getting enough air for my comfort. My o2 was around 88-91 and my HR was 130s. For hours . . . It was very uncomfortable. Eventually, a steroid injection got the allergic reaction under control, some supplemental oxygen resolved my panic, and my oxygen sats eventually went back to normal . . . it took about 24 more hours for the steroid to work its way out of my body and my pulse to really come back to normal (70s), though, because steroids inevitably raise my HR, too, lol.

 

Actually, when my mom was in respiratory failure and on oxygen and we couldn't get her oxygen above 80s or so, her pulse was CRAZY high, like 140s-150s continuously for days until she died. (And she was in her 70s, so that's crazy high.) 

 

Dh explained to me (he's a vet) that anything that stresses you can likely increase your HR. So, if you're struggling for oxygen or in pain or whatever, your HR typically goes up. 

 

I guess this stuff is very complicated. :)

 

Glad you got over the reaction - it sounds scary!  

 

And yes, based upon what we teach in Bio about how the human (or any) body reacts, HR increases under any sort of stress.  This is why I was mainly wondering if my body was slowing down too much - not reacting "correctly" at rest - and if it could possibly have been doing damage over the years without my realizing it - leading to the "progression" I feel at times with new symptoms or stronger regular symptoms.

 

The only thing that doesn't fit that idea is the fact that the thing varies.  Knowing how my "known" tumor symptoms go - they don't vary.  My vision issues are the same morning/night, day in and day out.  I would think it would be similar if organs were damaged due to this - or perhaps they would correlate more with/without exercise, so I'm not sold on the idea, unless it's still in progress (hence wanting to avoid these situations if possible - the cause of the thread - stop any damage if it's happening).  It's just the way my thoughts have gone wondering about it.  They aren't necessarily true - pure brainstorming.

 

I've found that when one has puzzles that aren't easily answerable, the brain can consider many options - most of which end up dead ends (just by reason alone), but the thoughts are still there until reason settles it.  Since my knowledge is limited, I appreciate the Hive's greater knowledge and willingness to share.

[caedmyn]

Have you had a full thyroid panel? Free T3, Free T4, reverse T3...not just TSH? I always had cold hands and feet and occasionally a finger would get super cold and white and kinda numb...I got my thyroid checked and started meds 3 yrs ago and I don't think I've had a numb finger since, and my hands and feet are much warmer. Www.stopthethyroidmadness has good info on thyroid issues imo.

[creekland]

Have you had a full thyroid panel? Free T3, Free T4, reverse T3...not just TSH? I always had cold hands and feet and occasionally a finger would get super cold and white and kinda numb...I got my thyroid checked and started meds 3 yrs ago and I don't think I've had a numb finger since, and my hands and feet are much warmer. Www.stopthethyroidmadness has good info on thyroid issues imo.

 

They did Free T3, Free T4, and TSH was done during the multiphasic.  All were very comfortably in the normal range.

 

I'm at my in-laws doing nothing but sitting and watching TV (just pulled out my computer).  We've only gotten up twice to go out to eat (fast food).  My phone comes up with the same measurements here as at home.

 

My guess still goes with some sort of circulation (vascular) issue, but one that happens when not moving rather than the other way around.

 

Yesterday when doing laundry I tested it out with the shortness of breath I get going from basement to 2nd floor.  No problems 98-99%.  It's literally only when sitting and resting that it drops.  Unless the phone can tell the difference between sitting right after doing 2 flights of stairs (or any other movement) and sitting still watching TV, there's a pretty direct correlation.

 

Not sure it means anything health-wise though since I don't feel any differently (other than cold) - just interesting.

[Tiramisu]

Creekland, I have some memory of a post you made a long while back about fluctuating blood pressure and maybe some lows? Am I remembering this right?

 

And ten you made a comment way upthread that made me think of dysautonomia. Then you said vasular issue and I thought the same thing. Dysautonomia.

 

I used to have a lot of problems because of it. Then I worked really hard to get myself in shape. I feel better. I can work out strenuously. But my body can still be very wonky when it comes to circulation, especially heart rare and blood pressure to a lesser degree. Not too long ago I read that there's some research being done that connects this problem to muscles (maybe in the diaphragm?) and a tendency to breathe shallowly. The research was saying it was caused by a muscle problem. But if one's body tends to poorly regulate its autonomic processes, breathing could be affected, too, even if the muscle theory is wrong.

[creekland]

Creekland, I have some memory of a post you made a long while back about fluctuating blood pressure and maybe some lows? Am I remembering this right?

 

And ten you made a comment way upthread that made me think of dysautonomia. Then you said vasular issue and I thought the same thing. Dysautonomia.

 

I used to have a lot of problems because of it. Then I worked really hard to get myself in shape. I feel better. I can work out strenuously. But my body can still be very wonky when it comes to circulation, especially heart rare and blood pressure to a lesser degree. Not too long ago I read that there's some research being done that connects this problem to muscles (maybe in the diaphragm?) and a tendency to breathe shallowly. The research was saying it was caused by a muscle problem. But if one's body tends to poorly regulate its autonomic processes, breathing could be affected, too, even if the muscle theory is wrong.

 

Yes, when I was measuring it my BP could get on the low side - and was lower using a wrist cuff than upper arm band (even though the devices were the same when other people used them), but it didn't get too low (90s over 50s - maybe upper 40s - were the lowest and 100s over 60-70s were the most common).  I never felt different with those either - just as I don't with the % O now - or the change in heart rates (but those, at least, are usually explained).

 

I don't know if the BP is still that way or not.  I gave up checking it when I ditched doctors last year.  It's been in the 110's/70's when measured by others, except it was still high (138/81 - I think) at the last Dr visit.

 

Otherwise I had to use google and came up with this site:

 

http://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/dysautonomia

 

which is extremely brief.  TBH, I'll have to look at it more when I have more time.  We've gone from visiting my in-laws to visiting my oldest son & his wife and since we see them so rarely, I want to be social.   :coolgleamA:   Then when I'm on the computer I'm mainly catching up at super speed rather than anything in depth.

 

I can say my suspicions at this time put something vascular at a very high probability (esp due to hearing the pulse and vascular is supposedly the #1 cause for that when tumors/cysts and such things have been ruled out - the latter being checked by JH - the former they won't check via any sort of tests).  Nothing is wrong that affects my fatigue level (other than maybe hills/stairs, but that could be from a general lower lung capacity - stuff that got me medically kicked out of the AF close to 30 years ago now).  This, to me, means whatever is wrong is wrong just with the periphery, not the central core.  

 

I've no idea how - or if - the variable pain waves are connected or if they're their own puzzle. I'm thinking connected.  It makes sense that I usually (not always) feel better when I keep under motion or a little bit stressed.

 

And then in the "constant" list I have lumps under my left armpit that are always painful - also checked out via US that showed nothing amiss - yet folks can feel these and they aren't duplicated on my right side.  Is that connected or not?  It came about suddenly a year ago Nov - something "impossible" they say, but I live with my body.  They either weren't there before or at least they weren't painful.  Hubby agrees.  He's pretty intimate with the area too... My concern is that might be connected to the latest neck issue (started similarly with sudden pain that decreases a little, but doesn't go away - and the pain is associated with lumps).

 

Since those last two are constant I'm thinking they're their own puzzle.  Lucky me.  :glare:

 

Fortunately, travel keeps me sane.  Issues are still there and those that vary still vary in the same way as at home (making me eliminate allergies as likely suspects), but traveling gives my brain other things to think about and enjoy.

 

I need to be on the road 24/7.  Simple solution, no?   :lol:

 

Traveling yesterday reminded me just how much I can't eat though!  We stopped at hubby's hometown and ate at his favorite BBQ buffet.  One really doesn't get their money's worth at a buffet with a low appetite, and if one tries they feel miserable afterward!  They frown upon doggie bags (sigh).