Blood disorders, circulatory problems, and lung issues may negatively affect your blood oxygen saturation level, as they may prevent you from adequately absorbing or transporting oxygen. Examples of conditions that can affect your O₂ saturation level include:

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including emphysema and chronic bronchitis
• Asthma
• Collapsed lung (pneumothorax)
• Anemia
• Heart disease (In relate to BPM, ex: PARR function)
• Pulmonary embolism
• Congenital heart defects

The most common method of measuring oxygen saturation is pulse oximetry. It is an easy, painless, non-invasive method wherein a probe is placed on the fingertip or earlobe to measure the oxygen saturation indirectly.

Measurement of oxygen saturation is particularly important for patients with health conditions that can reduce the level of oxygen in the blood. These conditions include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, pneumonia, lung cancer, anemia, heart failure, heart attack, and other cardiopulmonary disorders. For adults, the normal range of SpO₂ is 95 – 100%. A value lower than 90% is considered low oxygen saturation, which requires external oxygen supplementation.

The most common symptoms of hypoxemia include headache, rapid heart rate, coughing, shortness of breath, wheezing, confusion, and blueness of the skin and mucus membranes (cyanosis). A drop in oxygen saturation below the critical level should be treated with oxygen supplementation. Depending on the severity of the condition, a physician can prescribe supplemental oxygen, which has the most direct effect on the oxygen saturation level. Under clinical use, technical mishaps such as circuit disconnection, airway dislodgement or obstruction, or inadequate oxygen administration were identified sooner and providers could respond before adverse events occurred.

Eating a healthy and balanced diet can also help improve blood oxygen saturation. Since iron deficiency is one of the major causes of low oxygen saturation, eating foods that are rich in iron, such as meat, fish, kidney beans, lentils, and cashew nuts, can be helpful.

Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high. Blood glucose is your main source of energy and comes from the food you eat. Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, helps glucose from food get into your cells to be used for energy. Sometimes your body doesn’t make enough - or any - insulin or doesn’t use insulin well. Glucose then stays in your blood and doesn’t reach your cells.

Over time, having too much glucose in your blood can cause health problems. Although diabetes has no cure, you can take steps to manage your diabetes and stay healthy. Sometimes people call diabetes a touch of sugar or borderline diabetes. These terms suggest that someone doesn’t really have diabetes or has a less serious case, but every case of diabetes is serious.

Symptoms of diabetes include:

• increased thirst and urination
• increased hunger
• fatigue
• blurred vision
• numbness or tingling in the feet or hands
• sores that do not heal
• unexplained weight loss

Symptoms of type 1 diabetes can start quickly, in a matter of weeks. Symptoms of type 2 diabetes often develop slowly - over the course of several years - and can be so mild that you might not even notice them. Many people with type 2 diabetes have no symptoms. Some people do not find out they have the disease until they have diabetes-related health problems, such as blurred vision or heart trouble.

The most common types of diabetes are type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes - If you have type 1 diabetes, your body does not make insulin. Your immune system attacks and destroys the cells in your pancreas that make insulin. Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults, although it can appear at any age. People with type 1 diabetes need to take insulin every day to stay alive.

Type 2 diabetes - If you have type 2 diabetes, your body does not make or use insulin well. You can develop type 2 diabetes at any age, even during childhood. However, this type of diabetes occurs most often in middle-aged and older people. Type 2 is the most common type of diabetes.

Gestational diabetes - Gestational diabetes develops in some women when they are pregnant. Most of the time, this type of diabetes goes away after the baby is born. However, if you’ve had gestational diabetes, you have a greater chance of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. Sometimes diabetes diagnosed during pregnancy is actually type 2 diabetes.

Other types of diabetes - Less common types include monogenic diabetes, which is an inherited form of diabetes, and cystic fibrosis-related diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes occurs when your immune system, the body’s system for fighting infection, attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas. Scientists think type 1 diabetes is caused by genes and environmental factors, such as viruses, that might trigger the disease. Studies such as TrialNet are working to pinpoint causes of type 1 diabetes and possible ways to prevent or slow the disease.

Type 2 diabetes - the most common form of diabetes - is caused by several factors, including lifestyle factors and genes.

Overweight, obesity, and physical inactivity - You are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes if you are not physically active and are overweight or obese. Extra weight sometimes causes insulin resistance and is common in people with type 2 diabetes. The location of body fat also makes a difference. Extra belly fat is linked to insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and heart and blood vessel disease. To see if your weight puts you at risk for type 2 diabetes, check out these Body Mass Index (BMI) charts.

Insulin resistance - Type 2 diabetes usually begins with insulin resistance, a condition in which muscle, liver, and fat cells do not use insulin well. As a result, your body needs more insulin to help glucose enter cells. At first, the pancreas makes more insulin to keep up with the added demand. Over time, the pancreas can’t make enough insulin, and blood glucose levels rise.

You are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes if you are age 45 or older, have a family history of diabetes, or are overweight. Physical inactivity, race, and certain health problems such as high blood pressure also affect your chance of developing type 2 diabetes. You are also more likely to develop type 2 diabetes if you have prediabetes or had gestational diabetes when you were pregnant. Learn more about risk factors for type 2 diabetes.

Temperatura normala este in jur de 37°C (98,6°F). In orice caz, temperatura normala difera de la individ la individ. De asemenea temperatura variaza cu varsta si uneori chiar intre momente diferite ale zilei. De obicei este mai scazuta dimineata, cu un maxim dupa amiaza si cu o scadere a temperaturii inainte de culcare..

Masurarea temperaturii corporale prezinta o importanta majora pentru medicina. Motivul este determinat de faptul ca multe boli sunt insotite de modificari caracteristice ale temperaturii corpului. De asemenea, evolutia anumitor boli poate fi monitorizata prin masurarea temperaturii corpului, medicul putand evalua astfel eficienta tratamentului instituit. Febra este o reactie la stimuli specifici fiecarei afectiuni, reglarea temperaturii de la nivelul centrului termoreglarii fiind unul dintre mecanismele importante de lupta a organismului impotriva bolii. Febra este forma cea mai cunoscuta de raspuns la o afectiune infectioasa prin cresterea temperaturii corpului.

O distinctie clara trebuie facuta intre precizia constructiva (tehnica) a termometrului si acuratetea clinica a determinarii temperaturii. Precizia tehnica este determinata in conditii ideale de masurare cu scopul de a garanta calitatea instrumentului, cu respectarea standardelor de verificare. O precizie de +/- 0,1°C caracterizeaza un instrument de masura cu precizie exceptionala. Utilizatorul nu trebuie sa confunde precizia de masurare cu acuratetea clinica. Temperatura determinata a corpului uman depinde de locul masuratorii, de momentul zilei, conditii fiziologice si mult mai putin de erori de functionare ale termometrului.

Rectal - Cea mai precisa masurare a temperaturii corpului se obtine prin inserarea termometrului in rect (determinarea rectala). Aceasta masurare este precisa si prezinta variatii mici intre masuratori. Intervalul normal al temperaturii masurate prin determinare rectala este aproximativ: 36,2°C - 37,7°C.

Vaginal - La femei, determinarea temperaturii vaginale asigura obtinerea unor masuratori consistente dar mai scazute cu 0,1°C - 0,3°C in comparatie cu determinarea temperaturii rectale.

Ureche - Termometrele auriculare masoara temperatura de la nivelul canalului auditiv cu ajutorul unui senzor pentru radiatie in spectrul infrarosu. Varful adaptorului termometrului se pozitioneaza in canalul auricular si rezultatele determinarii se obtin intr-o secunda! Pe langa usurinta cu care se realizeaza masuratoarea, determinarea auriculara este o metoda de incredere atunci cand acuratetea este certificata printr-o validare clinica. Termometrele auriculare cu design avansat permit determinari consistente fara variatii semnificative. Forma optimizata a adaptorului probei este esentiala pentru corectitudinea determinarilor la copii si sugari.

Oral - Determinarea orala poate fi realizata prin masurarea la nivelul cavitatii bucale (plasarea termometrului la nivelul mucoasei obrazului sau sublingual). Ambele determinari vor arata o temperatura care se situeaza cu aproximativ 0,3°C-0,8°C sub temperatura determinata rectal, masurarea sublinguala fiind preferata

Frunte - Utilizarea termometrului de frunte este cea mai non-invaziva si confortabila modalitate de determinare a temperaturii corpului. Se realizeaza prin simpla plasare a termometrului in apropierea fruntii pacientului iar senzorul IR va detecta maximul temperaturii zonei in timp ce un alt senzor determina temperatura ambientala. Diferenta dintre aceste valori este analizata si in functie de setarile standard de determinare in mediu clinic, valoarea rezultata a determinarii se afiseaza pe ecranul LCD.

Axila - masurarea temperaturii corporale in practica clinica se realizeaza prin determinarea la nivelul axilei (subsuoara) sau inghinal. In ambele cazuri, membrul respectiv (superior sau inferior) va presa asupra corpului in scopul de a reduce influenta mediului ambiant asupra determinarii temperaturii. Aceasta determinare are dezavantajul ca necesita un timp mai lung de masurare. La adulti temperatura axilara este mai scazuta decat cea determinata rectal cu aproximativ 0,5°C-1,5°C. La copii, diferentele de temperatura dintre cea masurata axilar si cea rectala sunt mult mai mici.

In principiu, este adevarat ca valorile temperaturii variaza in functie de locatia determinarii. Tocmai de aceea, contrar parerii generale,nu poate fi definita o valoare standard a temperaturii normale a corpului. Mai mult chiar, la o persoana sanatoasa, temperatura corpului variaza in functie de activitate fizica si de momentul zilei. O diferenta de 0,5°C intre temperatura maxima determinata in cursul unei zile si cea masurata noapte prin determinari rectale este o diferenta normala, fiziologica.

Temperatura corpului creste la efort fizic. De asemenea trebuie facuta diferenta intre temperatura interna a corpului si temperatura suprafetei pielii (care este o temperatura influentata de mediul exterior). Temperatura corpului este determinata cel mai precis prin inserarea unui termometru intr-o cavitate a corpului, in contact cu mucoasa.