In today’s time, the smartwatch has become a very useful gadget and day by day it is getting more and more improved. In the early days, we used to see only the feature of heart rate tracking in smartwatches, but today in many brands we also get to see the feature of SpO2 i.e. blood oxygen level monitoring, and that too in a budget smartwatch.
But many people will not know how SpO2 or blood oxygen sensor works in the smartwatch. So in today’s article, I will tell you how does SpO2 oxygen sensor work in a smartwatch and why it is needed.
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What is SpO2 or Blood Oxygen? How Important it is?
The full form of SpO2 is the Saturation of Peripheral Oxygen. Oxygen is also present in our body along with blood and this oxygen is saturated with hemoglobin. If I explain this to you in simple words, blood is sent to the rest of your organs through your lungs, how much oxygen is there, it is applied through SpO2.
If we talk about the ideal range of SpO2, then it is 95% to 100%, that is, there should be this much oxygen in your blood, only then your body will remain healthy. If your blood oxygen is less than 94, then there may be a problem in your lungs, due to which there may be a problem in the supply of oxygenated blood to all your organs.
SpO2 monitoring is used at the time of emergency when the patient’s condition is very bad, apart from this SpO2 was checked a few days back during covid as well. According to research, if your blood oxygen is less than 94% then you should contact the doctor immediately.
How Does SpO2 Sensor Work in Smartwatches? How its Measure?
After knowing what SpO2 is and what is its need, we need to know how the SpO2 sensor works in a smartwatch and how it measures the blood oxygen level. To calculate SpO2, Reflectance Oximetry is used in smartwatches that project red and infrared light into our wrists.
This red light goes to the oxygen present in the blood tissue and returns to a reflecting light sensor. The difference between red light and reflecting light tells the SpO2 level present in our body.
Often it shows accurate results only when the body temperature is low, and the infrared light is very close to the blood.
How Accurate are SpO2 Sensors on Smartwatches?
The reflectance Oximetry technique is used to measure SpO2 in smartwatches, which provides SpO2 data to us based on the difference between injected and reflected light. But hemoglobin keeps on flowing in the blood tissue and oxygen all the time, it is not always the same but keeps fluctuating.
If you wear the Oximeter in your other hand, which is a medical tool, then you might get to see some more data in it. Because both smartwatch sensors and oximeter work on different technologies. You will get to see more accuracy in the oximeter of the smartwatch. SpO2 sensor does not have good wavelength due to which the data fluctuates and its accuracy is affected.
Can You Measure Smartwatch’s SpO2 Sensor Accuracy?
You can measure the SpO2 accuracy of a smartwatch in many different ways, but the easiest and best way is to use an oximeter to measure SpO2.
If you want to check the accuracy of the smartwatch SpO2 sensor, then wear the smartwatch on your hand and wear the oximeter on any finger of the same hand. Now compare the data read by these two whether it is the same or not, if the data is not the same then the sensor of your smartwatch is not monitoring the blues oxygen level properly.
Should You Rely on Smartwatches for SpO2 Monitoring?
If you want to use your smartwatch only for daily use for SpO2 monitoring then you can but if you use it as a piece of medical equipment then my opinion would be that you should not use it.
Many smartwatches tell the SpO2 monitor data correctly, while some do not tell accurately. If you are using a premium smartwatch like Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 & 5, Apple Watch, etc. then you get to see 99% accurate data in it. But if you are using a normal and budget smartwatch, then you do not get completely accurate data in it, due to which your health may be at risk.
If you want to monitor your SpO2 seriously, then you should consult a doctor or use some medical equipment like an oximeter.
Final Thought:
Friends, in today’s article, I have given you information about what is SpO2 sensor and How Does SpO2 Sensor Work in Smartwatches. If you have read this article till the end, then I hope that all the confusion related to SpO2 has been cleared. If you have any kind of question related to this article, then you must tell by writing in the comment below.
