subject: Pulse Oximeter and Stress [print this page] Pulse Oximeter and Stress Pulse Oximeter and Stress
Stress is also known in the United States as the silent killer. Many people watch what they eat and exercise daily, but they never stop to think about how stress in their life is affecting their health. Stress is mental conditions that affects us physically, and only recently have doctors have really been putting focus on it. Today when patients go into the ER or to their local doctor's office, they are almost always tested for stress when any conditions related to the heart come up. There are no medical devices which could be used at home that directly measure the stress on one's heart, but a pulse oximeter has proven to be a great tool to monitor specific vital signs that could point to stress.
A pulse oximeter is a medical device used by health professionals to measure the blood oxygen saturation levels and pulse rates of patients. It has been a critical medical device to doctors for decades, but only recently it has become more viable for home use. Now a pulse oximeter is smaller than a cell phone, and runs on standard batteries, while not sacrificing accuracy. A pulse oximeter is used by individuals to monitor their pulse rate which is used to determine how much stress is being put on the heart. This stress could be the result of mental worries, and not just physiological challenges. A person can easily keep track of their pulse rate to chart out how their stress is affecting their heart. If irregular pulse rates occur, then it could be due to stress or some other heart related illness.
A pulse oximeter, also known a pulse ox by some individuals, has been used by individuals with respiratory illnesses for years now, but now cardiac illnesses could be added to the list as well.
