Pulse oximeters are medical devices that
combines two functions into one: measuring
pulse rates and the oxygen saturation level
in body tissue.
Some uses include
- detecting hypoxia (lack of oxygen) by pilots
and mountain climbers. Hypoxia can
cause
vision impairment, headaches, confusion,
and fatigue, and if it is severe
enough,
unconsciousness and death. At higher
altitudes,
blood oxygen saturation decreases,
since
there is less oxygen available in
the air.
Hypoxia, defined as a deficiency
of oxygen
reaching the tissues of the body,
is now
a risk. For healthy people, the effects
of
less oxygen usually kick in at 12,500
feet.
Health and lifestyle factors like
drinking,
smoking, age and weight gain can
amplify
the effects of reduced oxygen content,
revealing
symptoms of hypoxia at altitudes
as low as
4,000 feet.
- monitoring for medical conditions that cause
your blood to carry too little oxygen.
Pulse oximeters are non-invasive and
work
by focusing red and infrared light
on a thin
portion of the body, such as fingertips
and
ear lobes. They then calculate the
fluctuations
in the light signal to determine pulse
rate,
and compare the absorption of the red
and
infrared light signals to calculate
blood
oxygen saturation.
New pulse oximeters typically cost between
$300 and $400.
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