As Covid-19 continues to spread and mutate in most parts of the world, a small medical device called a pulse oximeter has started to fly off the shelves, making it an essential medical device in a Covid-era home.

With our country’s hospitals on the verge of paralysis caused by a surge of Covid cases and patients requiring ICU care, the practice of regularly checking on one’s health at home becomes essential to prevent potential medical emergencies.

What is a pulse oximeter?

A pulse oximeter is a small device that looks like a big clothes peg. This tiny fingertip device can give you valuable information about your health during a bout of Covid-19 or any respiratory illness.

You place your finger snugly inside (most require nail side up), and within seconds it lights up with numbers indicating your blood oxygen level and heart rate. Most healthy people will get an oxygen reading around 95 to 98 percent. Some people with existing health conditions may have a lower normal reading. You should check in with your doctor if the number falls to around 93 or 92 or lower.

If the level of oxygen became this low all of sudden, these patients would be unconscious, having seizures, or otherwise affected. This means that there were a period of days where they were going silently down and they were not aware of it.

The device will also show your heart rate. A normal resting heart rate for adults ranges from about 60 to 100 beats per minute, although athletes with a higher cardiovascular fitness will have a lower pulse.

Why is a Pulse Oximeter an Essential Gadget at Home

Patients with Covid-19 can experience a potentially dangerous drop in oxygen saturation without having obvious breathing problems. This condition is called “Happy Hypoxia” and is usually common among younger patients.  Without a pulse oximeter, they might never know it or get very used to how they feel, despite very low oxygen levels. One of the factors contributing to the increased number of severe Covid-19 cases is “Happy Hypoxia”. By the time they go to the hospital feeling shortness of breath, their oxygen levels would have dropped significantly, and they could have very advanced Covid pneumonia. Too many patients were showing up at the hospital with perilously low oxygen levels, putting them at risk for severe complications and death.  Many doctors are advising patients to get a pulse oximeter, making it the go-to gadget of the pandemic.

Is there a risk to monitoring oxygen levels at home?

It’s possible that a home monitor could give a faulty reading or be used incorrectly, prompting a patient to seek care unnecessarily. If you or someone in your home shows a very low reading, you may want to test your device on a healthy person to confirm that it is working correctly and discuss it with your doctor. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that you get a good quality pulse oximeter. It is your own health that you are monitoring with the device, so spending a little more on a good pulse oximeter is a well spent investment.

Why You Should Buy An MDA Approved Pulse Oximeter

Malaysians seeking to buy pulse oximeters for Covid-19 home monitoring measures should only get those certified by the Medical Device Authority (MDA).  When you shop for one at the pharmacy, do ask the pharmacist if the pulse oximeter is MDA approved. Many people are buying this device online and if you’re planning on getting one from online stores, be sure to ask the seller if their device is MDA approved.

Medisana PM100 Pulse Oximeter

One of the top 9 best pulse oximeters in Malaysia is the Medisana PM100 Pulse Oximeter.  This pulse oximeter can give you an accurate reading of your heart rate regardless of a bar graph or waveform.  It uses a simple and convenient one-touch operation, complete with a bright OLED display that can be viewed in six different directions. You can even adjust the brightness accordingly using its 10-level setting.  It also comes with an automatic switch-off feature, which would shut down within 8 seconds if no measurement is taken. This helps to save the battery efficiently. Other highlights include a battery level indicator and a bundled carrying strap to hang it on.

In conclusion

When it comes to health and wellness, many people generally focus on eating a well-balanced diet, getting regular exercise and sufficient sleep. However, health monitoring seems to be a neglected area when in fact, it is equally important in order to prevent diseases.  Regular health monitoring and disease prevention can reduce suffering, medical costs and even prevent death.