Levels

Oxygen toxicity is typically only seen in cases involving the use of supplemental oxygen. People in these scenarios may be at risk of hyperoxia:

Doctors may start with medication to raise your blood oxygen level. Typically, these are medicines you can inhale through an inhaler. When medication is not effective on its own, oxygen supplementation is often used against hypoxemia. There are a variety of methods, and some types of supplemental oxygen are more appropriate depending on the cause of your low oxygen. Oxygen can be given at home, while traveling, or in the hospital, depending on a person's needs. Ask your doctor what method would be best for your oxygen requirements.

The at-home finger meter is easy to use and gives fast results. But it also has limitations. Oxygen meters may have trouble reading your finger in some cases. According to the FDA, the accuracy of pulse oximeter readings can be affected by:

Pulse Oximetry: A pulse oximetry reader is an inexpensive device that clips painlessly to your fingertip. It can measure the oxygen levels of your blood through the thin skin of your fingertip. Although reasonably accurate, this test can sometimes give false readings. It can be performed at home, but is also often used in hospital settings.

Low blood oxygen cases often have few or no symptoms ("silent hypoxemia"). That is sometimes even true in serious cases of hypoxemia. Some people with low blood oxygen seem well. This is why if you have reason to suspect your oxygen saturation is low, it's helpful to have a pulse oximeter. As your oxygen saturation declines, you may begin to notice some of the following symptoms: