Feeling Short Of Breath With Exertion. CT Scan Showing Mild Focal Scarring Upper Right Lobe. Treatment?

Posted on Mon, 12 Aug 2013

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Mon, 12 Aug 2013 Answered on

Mon, 2 Sep 2013 Last reviewed on

Question : i have been feeling short of breath with exertion. i had a ct 2 years ago which showed mild focal scarring upper right lobe. i wore an oximeter on my finger to monitor my oxgen level while sweeping the large back patio. i swept for about 15 minutes. my oxy level started at 98 and went down to 95 . is this normal? my boyfriend who is 53 and smokes did the same. started at 97 and went UP to 99 while sweeping. should the oxy go up or down during exertion? thank you

Answered by Dr. Kerry Pottinger (16 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
These figures are all normal.

Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Any figure of 94% or above is normal. There will always be a variation within the normal range but you do not need to worry. These figures are normal.
If you have normal lungs and a normal heart then the figures should remain above 94% under moderate exertion such as sweeping. If you undertake very extreme exercise then the figures may dip just below 94% but this would need to be very prolonged and hard exercise.
Hope this reassures you. If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact me.
Regards,
Dr K A Pottinger
MBChB FRCA

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar