Title: SpO2 and pulse ox wearables: Why blood oxygen is the big new health metric
Headings: SpO2 and pulse ox wearables: Why blood oxygen is the big new health metric
SpO2 and pulse ox wearables: Why blood oxygen is the big new health metric
What is a pulse oximeter/SpO2 sensor?
Why track blood oxygen?
The origins of the pulse oximeter
Pulse oximeter and wearables you can buy right now
Apple Watch Series 6
Fitbit (various)
Garmin SpO2 devices
Withings
Huawei Watch GT2

Content: Optical SpO2 sensors use red and infrared light sensors to detect your oxygen levels, sensing changes in those levels by looking at the color of your blood. It measures the volume of oxygen based on the way the light passes through your finger and delivers the data to the device's screen, which will tell you the percentage of oxygen in your blood. Why track blood oxygen? The Fitbit Estimated Oxygen Variation score
An oxygen saturation percentage greater than 95% is considered to be a normal reading. If you see a score of 92% or less, then it could be time to further investigate, and find out whether it's related to an as yet undetected health issue. John Hopkins Medicine explains how measuring oxygen levels through pulse oximetry can offer insights into a range of health related issues. It can be used to check whether someone needs assistance with their breathing via a ventilator, measure a person's ability to handle intensive physical activities, and it can also check whether you're experiencing breathing issues when sleeping. COVID-19 has put the focus on blood oxygen on the map, but actually, there are many less extreme reasons to keep an eye on blood oxygen levels. Athletes or people spending time at altitude will want to monitor blood oxygen levels. However, it's sleep apnea that really makes SpO2 a worthwhile sensor.