Because I'm a 63-year-old obese (5-9, 225 lbs) male with recent health
problems (mild stroke, type 2 diabetes that led to a big toe
amputation, hypertension, high cholesterol and triglycerides, low HDL,
etc.), I have recently started dieting -- and I have become a fanatic
about monitoring my health. I have bought several home health testing
kits (blood glucose, blood pressure, cholesterol, HDL, triglycerides,
urine ketone strips, body fat %, digital scales, digital thermometer,
etc.). I'm considering buying a fingertip pulse oximeter to check my
blood oxygen saturation level, but they cost almost $200 on eBay, and
I'm not sure if they would provide me with any useful information. My
oxygen saturation levels range from 96-99%, so I don't know if I need
to watch that -- and, anyway, I don't know that there would be
anything I could do even if my oxygen saturation levels would drop. My
question has three related parts: (1) Would an oximeter be worth
buying for me? (2) What
could I do if the numbers did get low? (3) Is there a place to buy a
fingertip pulse oximeter for less than the going prices on eBay ($185
and up)?

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Clarification of Question by healthjunkie-ga on 14 Jul 2006 18:47 PDT

I am a lifelong non-smoker with no respiratory problems. No asthma, no
emphysema,  no COPD, no bronchitis, no allergies, etc. So that's why I
don't know if an oximeter would give my an useful/actioable
information.

I can't see the need for a pulse oximeter, unless you have COPD,
asthma or some other respiratory disease. And if your O2 sats dropped
below 90 or so, what would you do! Do you have oxygen handy?

The pulse oximeter could be a rapid way to check your pulse, but the
oxygen saturation information would be useless to you.