Silly question...
 

..but here goes anyway: what's it mean when you got a decreased oxygen content in your blood? Does it mean your lungs don't work well or something?:blink: I'm not good at medical stuff. :blush:

Marte

It is usually recorded using a little thing on your finger. It just means that there is slightly les oxygen in your blood than normal. But this can be affected by many things, including smoking, exercise and infections.

The number is usually given as a percent and the average is 95-100%
Hope that helps.

Infections like pneumonia or something? And yes thanks, that helps a bit.

Marte

Any type of infection, pneumonia, bacterial infection, viral infection. Even things like asthma or hayfever can affect it. On its own its not much use though. It is a genral indactor, but it can not say what is wrong. Other things such as temperature and pulse have to be considered as well.

Oh ok, thanks, thought it'd be an indicator for something more serious going on but I learned today that there's a lot of thing that can affect it. :)

Marte

Yup lots of things.
Hope that puts your mind at rest.
Feel free to pm me anytime, if you want more info or reassurance.

Anything below 95% is considered unusual, so you should talk to your doctor if your number was lower then that. Everyones number varies, and like Kim said there are a bunch of different things that affect it. it's actually unusual to have 100%, but if your number is like 97% or something that is totally normal.


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hum this has pritty much alreasy been said but eah infection etc can cause it to be low or injury etc

*bumps* And uhh decreased lung volume what's that mean? And on a chest X ray it shows some fluids and they mention 'borderline pneumonia' but I thought fluids = pneumonia?

Marte

Decreased lung volume means that for some reason you lungs aren't holding as much air as they could. Fluid in the lungs doesn't always equal punemonia, it depends on why the fluid is there and how it got there.


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