Asthma sufferers have historically been very hesistant to engage in activities that would be strenuous for them and that would potentially cause an asthma attack. The problem is that the asthma sufferer would be engaging in a very typical activity such as helping their child ride a bike. As they are with their child they may not realize that their blood oxygen saturation which is the percentage of oxygen in the hemoglobin. But now there is relief. A pulse oximeter is a portable medical device that measures the blood oxygen saturation or SpO2 with great accuracy. Simply placing your finger inside the oximeter allows the device to use an infrared light to measure the percentage of oxygen in the hemoglobin. This infrared light then sends a signal back to the oximeter computer chip which then produces a specific number that indicates your SpO2 levels. Now how is this useful for asthma suffers? Well the biggest benefit to asthma sufferers is the fact that the oximeter can provide a preventative oxygen check feature to make sure that enough oxygen is getting to the individual to prevent an asthma attack. For example the individual who is helping their child ride a bike can simply take out the portable oximeter and place their finger inside. After which they will be able to see what their SpO2 levels are and to determine whether they need to stop and rest in order to bring their oxygen levels back to normal levels or that they are fine and continue in the physical activity they were engaging in before.

A pulse oximeter is truly a unique device. The new generations of oximeter devices measure pulse rate and SpO2 while being an extremely small and portable device. Previously the old generations of oximeter devices where large and bulk and only used in such settings as hospitals, clinics, or the military. But with the advent of new small chip technology those large oximeter devices have been transformed to significantly smaller devices that provide just as much accuracy and dependability as the previous generations of oximeter devices. We live in a society that we are constantly on the go. Whether we are rushing to get to work in the morning or its weekend and we are running errands or on a weekend getaway trip, we are always on the go. This creates an issue for those with health conditions that require monitoring of their health and vital signs wherever they go. For example, and individual with asthma may want to travel or to go for a weekend getaway but is afraid that she will not be able to accurately determine her oxygen levels and may experience an asthma attack. However, with the use of a portable pulse oximeter they no longer need to worry about this. They simply can take the oximeter which easily fits inside their purse or pocket and measure their vital signs wherever they go. If they see that their oxygen levels are at levels that may potentially cause an asthma attack then they simply stop and take care to make sure their levels come back to normal.