Outdoor Pulse Oximetry

Not because they are commonly found in hospitals and clinics, does it mean to say that pulse oximeters should be confined only in the clinical setting. As time goes, pulse oximeters are increasingly being used by people during their exercise or simply as they go on with their daily activities.

Pulse oximeters are relatively safe as there is no harm done by merely clipping a probe to a finger, ear, or certain parts of the body. Because of their non-invasive and quantitative nature, they are most preferred by physicians and experts in the assessment of the oxygenation status of a person. No one would ever want themselves to experience hypoxia, a condition in which body tissues are deprived of oxygen. Of course that is potentially fatal if it persists for several minutes. Hence, a lot of health-conscious people are buying pulse oximeters as part of their self-monitoring systems, particularly those who are prone to environments or scenarios that could possibly reduce the oxygen levels in their body.

Pulse oximetry has been available to pilots riding non-pressurized aircraft during the late 1900s and is still being advocated in the field of aeronautics up to the present time. It would be extremely necessary for them to monitor their oxygen saturation because they are climbing to higher altitudes where there is lesser oxygen in the atmosphere. With a pulse oximeter, pilots can identify for themselves whether or not they need supplementary oxygen. The same goes for mountain climbers who desire to climb higher elevations.

Sports athletes have also considered the pulse oximeter to be very useful. They wanted to monitor whether their increased activity is already compromising their health as strenuous exercise runs the risk of causing hypoxia. But by measuring the oxygen saturation of the blood, athletes will be able to assess how their body is responding to physical activity.

There are various types of pulse oximeters that are ideal for these scenarios. A hand-held type or a finger pulse oximeter that is motion-resistant would be the best option for pilots, mountaineers, and runners.  For a cyclist, a wrist oximeter such as the PC-68B from Landon Medical is much preferred to avoid interfering with holding the handlebars.