Low SPO2?

**rod9301** · 12-10-2022, 02:30 AM

Originally Posted by Flounder

I hardly ever got my oxygen checked so I don’t have a solid baseline. A couple of years I developed afib and got an Apple Watch to monitor it. That’s when I was able to start tracking oxygen levels. I averaged about 93-95% but it would go up to 100% now and then. A year ago I read the book Breath, The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor and it’s, no joke, changed my life.

The past year I’ve spent retraining myself on how to breath. Being asthmatic my focus had been in getting more air in my lungs. By breathing slower and at less volume it’s made huge changes including oxygen levels consistently in the 98-100% range.

It’s taken a shit ton of work to change 50+ years of bad breathing habits and I’ve still got a bit further that I want to go. Wish I’d know about it sooner because over breathing certainly caused a lot of my persistent issues. It’s crazy the profound changes including breathing tests are now better than an average non-asthmatic person even with lowering my asthma medications.

I’d definitely recommend reading the book and seeing if anything hits close to home. A year ago I would have never believed how much it would change my life. I don’t think my doctors fully believe it but they also can’t explain the vast improvement in my health.

Would this book be relevant to someone who has a normal lung function?

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**m2711c** · 12-10-2022, 03:39 AM

worked wonders for remo williams…

**SuperChief** · 12-10-2022, 06:07 AM

Learning any breathing exercise would be beneficial, gonna have to look into that book. I had a great yoga teacher that taught me a couple breathing techniques for hiking and staying warm while gate judging ski races. So any help on this subject will most likely be beneficial

**babybear** · 12-10-2022, 09:24 AM

agree that Breath book is so so good. I even reread it again recently.
I’d pass the book onto one of you but it’s on my kindle

Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art https://a.co/d/jhVJuEZ

**fastfred** · 12-10-2022, 10:01 AM

Me and OG did the same thing valves and patches and tightening shit up at age 44 minus the bypass part I'm clean as as a whistle no blockages but soon I'm going get some real nice goretex installed

Today I'll get a 20 mile mtn bike ride in jerk off three times and party my point is people obsess about their health issues and problems we are a nation of excuses and poor health I spent a year and a half paranoid to goto sleep cause I thought Id die my own morality ate at me for a long time these days i don't give a fuck

You can worry all day or you can grab life by the balls

**gravitylover** · 12-10-2022, 10:22 AM

Fred, I'm surprised you had an issue with morality, lol.

After my heart attack a few years ago (at 52) I attacked pretty hard for the first few years after and it was all good. I've backed off this year because my back is a mess but on the good days when I'm gettin' after it I don't even think of the problems and stents in there.

**old goat** · 12-10-2022, 11:52 AM

Originally Posted by rod9301

Would this book be relevant to someone who has a normal lung function?

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I'd be happy if I could just stop holding my breath in tight spots. Even doing my leg blasters--Why am I so short of breath. Oh yeah, I was holding my breath the whole time.
If I could go back to my teens and learn to ski again the two things I would learn first are relaxed breathing and where I should be looking. Ze ups and ze downs can wait.

**Flounder** · 12-10-2022, 12:21 PM

Originally Posted by old goat

I'd be happy if I could just stop holding my breath in tight spots.

So true! That was one of the things I’d been noticing over the years that led me to explore more about breathing. I have been better this past year but it takes concentration. Not only is it detrimental to your health but performance takes a hot as well. If I hold my breath my body becomes stiff and tense.

**rod9301** · 12-10-2022, 01:03 PM

When i was water skiing competitively, i had to learn to breathe instead of holding my breath for 17 seconds, the time it takes to complete the slalom course. So i leaves to breathe out at every turn, 6 turns total.

I do the same in snow skiing, which means that sometimes i breathe more frequently than i should, but it's better than starving your legs from oxygen.

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**summit** · 12-10-2022, 01:13 PM

Downhill biking forced me to learn to breath while gripped and flying through the gnar

**Meadow Skipper** · 12-10-2022, 01:49 PM

Originally Posted by Flounder

If I hold my breath my body becomes stiff and tense.

If my body becomes stiff and tense I hold my breath.

**fastfred** · 12-10-2022, 04:39 PM

Check your red blood numbers that's what matters

Check your blood pressure matters too

Call your pediatrician Monday make an appt get a prescription for an o2 machine and stop worrying

**Toadman** · 12-10-2022, 05:07 PM

I had someone recommend that same book, "Breathe". I don't have issues with low SPO2 levels. Just had a physical and it was 97%. But I do have sinus issues and have always struggled with the feeling I am not getting enough air when under heavy exercise. The book has helped me with my breathing, and I do recommend it for those with similar issues.

**Brownski** · 12-11-2022, 10:50 AM

I don't have O2 issues either- always in the high nineties. I just took OEC and the day we were playing with the sensors, it only took about 2 or 3 deep breaths for me to get it to 100%- which actually feels weird. However, like some of you, I sometimes feel out of breath when pushing uphill hard. I've always chalked it up to carrying some extra weight around my middle but I think I'm gonna read that book and see if it helps.

**old goat** · 12-11-2022, 02:51 PM

It's normal to feel short of breath exercising hard. Breathing faster and deeper is the only way to take in more oxygen and a lot of people experience that as shortness of breath--like all the running backs puffing 02 on the bench after a big run.

**skinipenem** · 12-11-2022, 06:31 PM

Originally Posted by Kevo

Every time I've had my blood oxygen checked in my adult life it is pretty low- 90-94%. I live at 6,200 feet. It is even lower at higher altitudes.

At pretty much every annual physical the conversation goes something along the lines of-

Medical assistant taking vitals- "Huh, that doesn't look right."

Checks a different finger or cleans off the pulse oximeter - "Hmm, still looks low"

Then they chart the SPO2 and the doc never brings it up. If I ask the doc they never have an answer.

I bought a pulse oximeter to track my blood oxygen during the pandemic and it confirms the findings of the doctors visits- consistently below 95%.

Is this a thread that I should pull on? Is this even a point of concern?

Second detrosor's recommendation to visit a pulmonologist. Ask about an echocardiogram as your low oxygen saturation could be structural i.e. heart related. Many possibilities. Go see a doctor.

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**snapt** · 12-11-2022, 08:28 PM

Dr Salem and his PA’s in Idaho Falls are who you want for Pulmonology in this neck of the woods. You’ll need a referral from a PCP for which I recommend steering clear of TVH.

**billyk** · 12-11-2022, 09:04 PM

One of my cousins who lives in Grand Junction just started using O2. He has a portable unit that he can take with him while golfing. Said it did wonders for his golf game.

He said his oxygen levels continued to get worse, and there was no way to improve it through breathing exercises or drugs, and so on. So they started him on the bottles.

He didn’t smoke tobacco, but I suspect other substances were inhaled growing up. Living at altitude all his life didn’t help, either.

Hope things work out better for you, Kevo.

**old goat** · 12-11-2022, 11:02 PM

Originally Posted by skinipenem

Second detrosor's recommendation to visit a pulmonologist. Ask about an echocardiogram as your low oxygen saturation could be structural i.e. heart related. Many possibilities. Go see a doctor.

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I'm going to disagree. To quote Kevo "This has been going on since at least my early 20s. I'm now in my mid 30s.

I do a lot of trail running and cycling. I regularly run 12-18 miles at a time during the summer and bike 20-70 miles at a time.

I've climbed above 6,000 meters without supplemental oxygen multiple times and I've climbed above 4,000 meters hundreds of times. It is now rare for me to go much above 3,000 meters since I moved to a lower mountain range.

In the winter I do a fair amount of ski touring and skate skiing.

I wouldn't say I'm ever short of breath while exercising."

The place to start is to discuss with his primary care physician and to confirm if the sats are real. Then perhaps a specialist. Deciding for oneself to see a specialist is rarely a good idea. You see a lung doctor and you're going to get lung diagnoses and tests. If you see heart doctor you get heart diagnoses and heart tests.

This is a guy who is recreating at a very high level without symptoms. It may become necessary but let's not jump to specialists and tests just yet.

**snapt** · 12-12-2022, 12:25 PM

Originally Posted by old goat

The place to start is to discuss with his primary care physician and to confirm if the sats are real. Then perhaps a specialist. Deciding for oneself to see a specialist is rarely a good idea. You see a lung doctor and you're going to get lung diagnoses and tests. If you see heart doctor you get heart diagnoses and heart tests.

I'll caveat with saying if it was me satting lower than normal but asymptomatic I'd ignore it. Kevo is likely looking to internet strangers for medical advice due to the quality of PCP's where he lives. My experience with them is they let you dictate your own care if you're halfway intelligent and have done a lick of research which is damn frustrating.

**Kevo** · 12-12-2022, 01:19 PM

Originally Posted by snapt

I'll caveat with saying if it was me satting lower than normal but asymptomatic I'd ignore it. Kevo is likely looking to internet strangers for medical advice due to the quality of PCP's where he lives. My experience with them is they let you dictate your own care if you're halfway intelligent and have done a lick of research which is damn frustrating.

Hey, we're not all strangers.

PCPs in CO were also pretty "meh" about this particular subject. They didn't have answers and just kind shrugged things off.

I haven't had any major medical issues since moving here, but I've been impressed by the quality of attention and care that I've gotten at TVH for non-life threatening issues. I'd say my experiences have been substantially better than CO. Same for my girlfriend and my dad who both have had successful ortho surgeries since moving here.

I'm still really bummed about Mo's (local ortho surgeon) death. He was a really incredible asset to the community.

I guess I'll bring things up the next time I have a PCP appointment and see where things go...

**fastfred** · 12-12-2022, 06:11 PM

Gonna die

**Meadow Skipper** · 12-12-2022, 06:19 PM

^ Breathe, dude.

**skinipenem** · 12-12-2022, 07:24 PM

Originally Posted by old goat

I'm going to disagree. To quote Kevo "This has been going on since at least my early 20s. I'm now in my mid 30s.

I do a lot of trail running and cycling. I regularly run 12-18 miles at a time during the summer and bike 20-70 miles at a time.

I've climbed above 6,000 meters without supplemental oxygen multiple times and I've climbed above 4,000 meters hundreds of times. It is now rare for me to go much above 3,000 meters since I moved to a lower mountain range.

In the winter I do a fair amount of ski touring and skate skiing.

I wouldn't say I'm ever short of breath while exercising."

The place to start is to discuss with his primary care physician and to confirm if the sats are real. Then perhaps a specialist. Deciding for oneself to see a specialist is rarely a good idea. You see a lung doctor and you're going to get lung diagnoses and tests. If you see heart doctor you get heart diagnoses and heart tests.

This is a guy who is recreating at a very high level without symptoms. It may become necessary but let's not jump to specialists and tests just yet.

Not to get in a pissing match here, but Kevos initial post stated he had discussed his low oxygen saturation with his doctor already. But yeah specialists are evil. Especially surgeons.

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