Must have in your COVID prep kit: pulse oximeter?

COVID patients are confounding the doctors. They can have low oxygen saturation levels but show no signs of distress. This article by a veteran ER doctor explains how monitoring O2 levels with a pulse oximeter could be a significant tool in the early stages of monitoring COVID exposure.

But here’s a caveat for asthmatics: you can have normal O2 levels even if you are having a flare-up. Respiratory therapist Theresa Cannizzaro explains that in practical application, asthma is about airway passages, not the O2 levels. In fact, instead of focusing on O2 intake, in the Buteyko Technique, the focus is on allowing CO2 buildup to trigger the natural inhalation response.

In the end, the significance of consuming information in a time when so much new and conflicting information is coming at you is this: what can I do with it?

The pulse oximeter is a way to get feedback on how your control of breathing influences your heart rate and your felt sense of ease. Use a pulse oximeter to measure your baseline and get familiar with your recovery rate.

Do you have have an underlying hypoxic condition? Does your breathing pattern increase your heart-rate? If you have not specifically worked with your breathing and feel anxious when you do, this could be a good tool for you.

But you have to develop the skills, not just have have the measurement. I am offering workshops and classes on three different aspects of breathing to help you learn. More offerings coming soon.

NERVOUS SYSTEM REGULATION: Learn to manage your nervous system in a simple and unique standing meditation practice called “Finding your anchor”.

MOVEMENT: The lungs cannot expand when the ribs are tight. Learn to find mobility in your thoracic spine, shoulders, and ribs in my “Free your lungs!” workshops.

CHALLENGE: You can challenge your cardiovascular system in a balanced way during my Quarantine cardio sessions.