What to do about low blood oxygen saturation

Generally, low blood oxygen saturation may be related to high altitude sickness, anemia, bronchial asthma, tuberculosis, and heart failure. It is recommended to manage the condition through oxygen therapy and medication. Patients should seek timely medical attention to identify the underlying cause and follow medical advice for treatment. The detailed analysis is as follows:

1. High Altitude Sickness: Rapidly traveling from low-altitude to high-altitude areas can cause high altitude sickness due to the drop in atmospheric pressure, making it difficult for the body to adapt to the low-oxygen environment within a short time. This may lead to a decrease in blood oxygen levels. The drop in oxygen content stimulates the respiratory center, causing deeper and faster breathing. It is recommended that patients promptly visit a hospital, where oxygen levels in the blood can be increased via oxygen masks or nasal cannula oxygen therapy.

2. Anemia: Anemia may be caused by malnutrition or excessive blood loss. It leads to a decrease in red blood cell count and weakens the capacity to transport oxygen, affecting oxygen supply to body tissues and resulting in low blood oxygen saturation. Patients may experience symptoms such as dizziness, fatigue, and palpitations. Severe cases might lead to hypoxia-related symptoms like shortness of breath and chest pain. Patients should follow medical advice and promptly take medications such as ferrous sulfate tablets, polysaccharide iron complex capsules, and ferrous fumarate granules to alleviate symptoms.

3. Bronchial Asthma: Bronchial asthma is a respiratory disease usually associated with chronic inflammation and allergens. During an asthma attack, the patient's airway ventilation function is affected, preventing effective expulsion of carbon dioxide and intake of oxygen, leading to hypoxia and decreased blood oxygen saturation. Patients should use medications such as budesonide inhalation aerosol, beclomethasone dipropionate inhalation aerosol, and terbutaline sulfate granules as advised by their doctors to aid recovery.

4. Tuberculosis: Tuberculosis is a respiratory infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. If not treated promptly during the early stages of the disease, the condition may worsen. Tuberculosis lesions may block the trachea and bronchi, leading to decreased lung function, causing chest tightness and difficulty breathing, and easily resulting in reduced blood oxygen saturation. Patients are advised to undergo anti-tuberculosis treatment under medical guidance using medications such as isoniazid tablets, rifampin capsules, and pyrazinamide capsules.

5. Heart Failure: Heart failure occurs when various heart diseases lead to a decline in cardiac function. During an episode, the heart's pumping function weakens, blood flow becomes obstructed, leading to pulmonary edema, impaired lung function, and decreased blood oxygen levels, resulting in low oxygen saturation. Patients may experience symptoms such as shortness of breath and chest tightness even after mild physical activity. It is recommended that patients follow medical advice and take medications such as hydrochlorothiazide tablets, furosemide tablets, and propranolol hydrochloride tablets to slow the progression of the disease.

In daily life, patients are advised to engage in moderate aerobic exercise, such as walking or jogging, under medical guidance to improve cardiopulmonary function and enhance the body's efficiency in utilizing oxygen. However, strenuous exercise or heavy physical labor should be avoided to prevent further decreases in blood oxygen saturation.