Respiratory illnesses are on the rise in the United States. The reasons for this have been debated for many years by medical professionals, but one thing is for sure. It is becoming more and more serious on a yearly basis. As pollution levels rise and the number of people smoking increase, so have respiratory illnesses. Some experts blame this increase to number of people that are over 50 years old in the United States. These baby boomers are also known for being the generation that had the most number of smokers than any other generation thereafter. Of the various respiratory illnesses, asthma is the most diagnosed amongst both adults and children.
Up to recently, there have not been many medical devices that were meant to aid in monitoring of asthma conditions. One such medical device is a pulse oximeter. A pulse oximeter, also known as a pulse ox by some medical professionals, is a medical device used to measure the blood oxygen saturation and pulse rate of an individual. A new finger pulse oximeter is designed to simply clip onto one's finger and provide readings within seconds. These new oximeters are small in size, which makes them portable. In comparison, they are smaller than your average cell phone.
Individuals with asthma now can easily use a pulse oximeter to determine how much oxygen is being utilized by their body via their lungs to their blood. An individual who have asthma do not have to wait for an attack anymore, but rather monitor their oxygen levels and avoid the asthma attack beforehand. Doctors are even writing more and more prescriptions nowadays too, which allows patients to get reimbursed for their purchased pulse oximeters. Individuals with asthma are now less and less likely to suffer a serious asthma attack.
This article has been viewed 3 time(s).Article Submitted On: February 02, 2011
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