When to contact your health care provider: Only a health care provider can diagnose a medical condition such as hypoxia (low oxygen levels).
Be aware that some patients with low oxygen levels may not show any or all of these symptoms. Shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, or a cough that gets worse. Bluish coloring in the face, lips, or nails. If monitoring oxygen levels at home, pay attention to other signs or symptoms of low oxygen levels, such as:. Do not rely only on a pulse oximeter to assess your health condition or oxygen level. 
Over the counter products that you can buy at the store or online are not intended for medical purposes. Changes or trends in measurements may be more meaningful than one single measurement.
When taking pulse oximeter measurements, pay attention to whether the oxygen level is lower than earlier measurements, or is decreasing over time. Write down your oxygen levels with the date and time of the reading so you can easily track changes and report these to your health care provider. Wait a few seconds until the reading stops changing and displays one steady number. Sit still and do not move the part of your body where the pulse oximeter is located. Remove any fingernail polish on that finger. When placing the oximeter on your finger, make sure your hand is warm, relaxed, and held below the level of the heart. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for use. To get the best reading from a pulse oximeter: Be aware that multiple factors can affect the accuracy of a pulse oximeter reading, such as poor circulation, skin pigmentation, skin thickness, skin temperature, current tobacco use, and use of fingernail polish. Follow your health care provider’s recommendations about when and how often to check your oxygen levels. Recommendations for Patients and Caregivers How to take a reading: Patients with conditions such as COVID-19 who monitor their condition at home should pay attention to all signs and symptoms of their condition and communicate any concerns to their health care provider. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is informing patients and health care providers that although pulse oximetry is useful for estimating blood oxygen levels, pulse oximeters have limitations and a risk of inaccuracy under certain circumstances that should be considered. The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused an increase in the use of pulse oximeters, and a recent report ( Sjoding et al.) suggests that the devices may be less accurate in people with dark skin pigmentation.
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