So what is the normal oxygen level? People who are breathing normal, who have relatively healthy lungs (or asthma that is under control), will have a blood oxygen level of 95% to 100%. Anything between 92% and 88%, is still considered safe and average for someone with moderate to severe COPD.
When you have COPD, shortness of breath (and other symptoms, such as coughing) are an important measure of your current health status. However, knowing your saturation level is also important. And, unfortunately, it is entirely possible to be short of breath, but have healthy oxygen saturation.
For most COPD patients, a target saturation range of 88%–92% will avoid the risks of hypoxia and hypercapnia. Some patients with previous episodes of respiratory acidosis may require an "oxygen alert card" with a lower (personalized) target saturation range.
Shortness of breath does not always indicate that you are hypoxic. In other words, your level of dyspnea, or air hunger, does not always correlate with your oxygen saturation. This means that you can be short of breath, even extremely short of breath, even in the presence of normal oxygen saturation.
Severe COPD can lead to low blood oxygen levels, which can impair oxygen supply to the body's vital organs. People who experience low blood oxygen levels due to severe COPD may require oxygen therapy to boost their blood oxygen levels and reduce the risk of organ damage.
A person may have dyspnea even though the actual levels of oxygen are within a normal range. It is important to understand that people do not suffocate or die from dyspnea. But tell your health care team right away if you have any of these symptoms or if they get worse.
Supplemental O2 removes a COPD patient's hypoxic (low level of oxygen) respiratory drive causing hypoventilation which causes higher carbon dioxide levels, apnea (pauses in breathing), and ultimately respiratory failure.
For patients with COPD, insufficient respiratory effort and/or inadequate alveolar ventilation, in a setting of uncontrolled oxygen delivery (where the precise Fio2 is unknown) can result in dangerous levels of both oxygen and carbon dioxide.
Definition of mild COPD
The most common presenting symptom is dyspnea with exertion or chronic cough with or without sputum production. Other (but more infrequent) symptoms include chest pain, orthopnea and wheezing. However, there is also a group of patients with abnormal spirometry but are otherwise asymptomatic.
When COPD gets worse it is called an exacerbation (ex-zass-er-BAY-shun). During an exacerbation you may suddenly feel short of breath, or your cough may get worse. You may also cough up phlegm, and it may be thicker than normal or an unusual color.
Some, but not all, people with emphysema need oxygen. People may not need oxygen therapy in the early stages of COPD. In the later stages of the disease, the alveoli develop more damage and become less able to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide.
Anything between 92% and 88%, is still considered safe and average for someone with moderate to severe COPD. Below 88% becomes dangerous, and when it dips to 84% or below, it's time to go to the hospital.
How accurate are pulse oximeter readings? Most pulse oximeters are accurate to within 2% to 4% of the actual blood oxygen saturation level.
Be aware that multiple factors can affect the accuracy of a pulse oximeter reading, such as poor circulation, skin pigmentation, skin thickness, skin temperature, current tobacco use, and use of fingernail polish.
Stress can affect all systems of the body — even leading to lower oxygen levels in the blood and body. If you sometimes feel short of breath when you're stressed or anxious, you are not alone. This is a common symptom of anxiety.
If shortness of breath happens when you're clearly not exerting yourself, when you're doing something you normally could do without feeling winded, or comes on suddenly, those are warning signs that a heart issue could potentially be to blame.
Highlights. This study characterises a well described symptom of COPD, breathlessness on bending forward, termed bendopnea, present in over 50% of this cohort. Patients with bendopnoea had significantly reduced FEV1, more severe emphysema characterised by reduced DLCO and poorer quality of life.
A low oxygen level in the blood can cause shortness of breath and air hunger (the feeling that you can't breathe in enough air). Your skin, lips, and fingernails may also have a bluish color. A high carbon dioxide level can cause rapid breathing and confusion.
Common symptoms of COPD include: An ongoing cough or a cough that produces a lot of mucus, sometimes called smoker's cough. This is often the first symptom of COPD. Shortness of breath, especially with physical activity.
Can you live 10 or 20 years with COPD? The exact length of time you can live with COPD depends on your age, health, and symptoms. Especially if your COPD is diagnosed early, if you have mild stage COPD, and your disease is well managed and controlled, you may be able to live for 10 or even 20 years after diagnosis.
Your doctor may prescribe a short-acting bronchodilator if your COPD is mild and you only have symptoms every once in a while. Examples of short-acting bronchodilators are albuterol (ProAir HFA, Ventolin HFA, and other brand names), levalbuterol (Xopenex) and ipratropium (Atrovent HFA).