breathing/O2 saturation

[sfr100]

I know many people have posted about shallow breathing or rapid breathing.....but I have another question. I had by sat levels measured and they were different lying down and then when I got up and was walking, The sat levels dropped when walking. Does anyone beside me think their symptoms would be improved if they could get more oxygen into their bodies? Thanks for any responses.

Susan

[michiganjan]

What is normal for that kind of test? Are they supposed to go down when you walk around?

[morgan617]

O2 sats shouldn't drop below 95% or so anytime. I would imagine because we have such a drop in blood volume on standing and therefore get less O2 to the brain, it could affect our breathing, just as the anoxia affects our thinking. If the brain is not fuctioning our breathing mechanism may be diminished, causing problems.

I have more problems with breathing and air hunger standing and sitting than lying down, as opposed to people with heart failure that more problems lying down than standing up.

I find that when I have my dilations on my esophagus and they give me the O2 as they always do, I seem to feel better. But i just don't know. My sats tend to be okay, but the O2 just seems to make me feel better over all. The last time I actually asked for it before they put it on because I was having so many arrythmias and since he could see them on the monitor he didn't hesitate. It seemed to help them. But I was lying down. So I am a little flummoxed by it all. morgan

[AJVDK]

I use oxygen. It used due to the custer headaches I get, but also told to use it if I feel chest pain, lightheadness, ect. I find it works best when my blood pruessure drop way low, most of the time this is when I am laying down. I find most of the time while I am up it is not needed, as long ad I am not up too long. I do get the shortness of breath when even climping strairs thought but due to problems with heart? i don't beleive it as much the POTS/NSC.

Good luck with finding what works. Maybe take to tour doctor about a test run. Thats what they did for me. They said since it helped so much I would need to use it too much so they went ahead and order a o2 for the house, and I also got the protable, so if I am not feeling well I can still try to get out. PLus it help in my final days while I was working. It helped me get thought the days. I just found that it got way to hard to keep working, and doctors told me to stop.

Amy

[Radha]

does anyone have an explanation for why breathing in oxygen helps when you are tachy or having pounding heartbeat, or palpitations? oxygen does help me too, but was wondering why it helps heart to slow down or beat softer,

radha

[kmpower]

One of my teachers used to say that "when the body has a symptom, figure out what the body is trying to do and help it do it, and the symptom will get better." His favorite example was that nothing stopped diarrhea faster than an enema.

Anyway, I am guessing that the heart is racing to get blood -- specifically, the oxygen in the blood -- to somewhere. Give it extra oxygen and it doesn't have to do it as often.

I am sure there are reflexes concerned with heart rate and oxygen content to the tisssues.

[Jacquie802]

I'm sure that O2 would help me when I am feeling horrible.