What is hypopnea and how can it be monitored with the use of a pulse oximeter

You have probably heard of sleep apnea in one way or another. Either you have heard about it on television or you or someone that you know actually suffers from this condition. What happens in sleep apnea is that during sleep the individual ceases to actually breathe for a period of time and as such there is no air flow into the body. What this means is that the body is not getting enough oxygen and as a result there could be damage done to the person’s health. On the other spectrum is actually a condition that we call hypopnea. Hypopnea is a respiratory condition where the body does take in some oxygen by way of breathing during sleep but it is at a really low and minimal level. What makes it particularly hard to detect is the fact that you will have no recollection of actually ceasing to breathe or even low oxygen intake when you are sleeping. Thus a device was needed to monitor hypopnea and the oxygen levels during sleep. This came by way of a pulse oximeter. A pulse oximeter is a health and medical that is particularly suited and used for hypopnea. The way the device works is that it actually measures the oxygen levels of the individual during their sleep and records the data on its memory system. The next day the individual can take their readings to their physician or sleep apnea specialist in order to get a professional analysis of whether they actually are suffering from the health condition. The pulse oximeter is a device that may be a bit difficult to actually find and the best place to find them is actually online. The reason for this is that the best prices are offered online and the best selection as well. The whole experience is very easy because you simply order online and within a few days you have your device right at your door without ever having to leave your home. A pulse oximeter works quite effectively to measure the pulse rate as well as the blood oxygen saturation of an individual The device is only a fraction of the size of a typical cell phone and thus it is extremely portable. It also is very accurate and instantly gives a reading of the oxygen saturation as well as pulse rate within seconds. By inserting your finger inside the portable device an infrared light passes through you finger. Hemoglobin absorbs light at different frequencies and as such the infrared light that goes through the finger bounces back to the oximeter device computer with a number that represents the oxygen levels of the body. This number means the world to people who live with conditions that require accurate monitoring of the oxygen levels in the body. Oximeter devices continue to break ground not only in the hospital setting but also the home setting as well. No longer do individuals need to be at their physician’s office or a hospital in order to take advantage of such a device to monitor their health. The newest generations of devices are not only extremely small and portable but they also are extremely affordable. So individuals living with various health conditions that are necessary to measure their oxygen levels can now use the device in the comfort of their home without ever having to worry about not monitoring their health on a continuous basis. The portability also allows them to take the device wherever they desire to go.