Most people don’t give a second thought to the levels of oxygen in their blood. That is until they develop a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. That’s when monitoring blood oxygen level becomes critical to survival.
There are other diseases that can inhibit the body’s ability to pass oxygen through the lungs and into the blood, or interfere with the blood oxygen’s ability to travel around the body. These conditions include heart disease, asthma, and other lung damage.
Running out of oxygen is a terrifying situation to imagine. Thankfully, there are ways to improve blood oxygen level. You can learn more about these effective strategies below.
Breathe Properly
Something as simple as the way you sit and stand can greatly affect your lung capacity, which directly affects your blood oxygen level. Get into the habit of holding a straight back with an upright chin and rolled-back shoulders.
Posture is even important when you go to sleep. A bed that’s too soft won’t properly support your back and will negatively affect your breathing. Patients who need extra help breathing at night can use a CPAP machine, but make sure to regularly use a sleep cleaner and sanitizer.
Start Exercising
Considering that heart disease can reduce your blood oxygen levels, it’s important to exercise and keep your heart healthy. Exercise also strengthens lung function, helping them pump more oxygen into the blood and encouraging the oxygenated blood to travel faster around the body.
Eat a Healthy Diet
Again, a healthy diet is another way to promote heart health. Certain vitamins and nutrients can even promote the function of oxygen in the body. Antioxidants are a great example of this.
Although oxygen is essential to human life, it can also hurt it. Oxygen can produce free radicals that wreak havoc on the body. Antioxidants prevent this process, called oxidation, from happening.
Even drinking water can help blood oxygen levels improve. Of course, water is largely made up of oxygen and it’s an easy way to get more of it in your body.
Improve Air Quality
Anyone who lives in a polluted area knows the value of clean air. It should be a human right, but sadly, millions of people around the world are forced to breathe harmful molecules every day.
Improving air quality is easily done with a little investment. Air purifiers and humidifiers are moderately priced machines that help. There are even plants that naturally filter and cleanse air.
Don’t forget to regularly get some fresh air. Fresh, outdoor air contains more oxygen for you to breathe than recycled, stagnant, indoor air.
Blood Oxygen Level and Other Health Info
Blood oxygen level is not completely under an individual’s control, but there are ways to influence it. Be sure to diligently follow the strategies above and monitor changes in your blood oxygen level.
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