Technology has made it much easier to manage and maintain your health in the comfort of your home. This saves you the trouble of going to hospitals and waiting hours for a routine examination. Your health should always be at the top of your list of priorities.
While you must have a good schedule, eat a well-maintained diet, and take care of your physical body, you also need to keep tabs on your internal health. You need to know where your blood sugar lies, how much you weigh, if your body is getting enough oxygen, and if your heart rate is steady.
These factors are also a significant part of having a healthy routine. Active monitoring helps prevent major illnesses from seeping in and informs you if you are at risk of developing severe disease.
However, it would help if you had specific medical devices to monitor your vitals. The market is saturated with many portable gadgets that you can take home. So which of these medical devices do you need? Here’s what you need to know:
1. Pulse Oximeters:
A pulse oximeter is a noninvasive device that measures oxygen saturation levels in your blood. This gadget is highly sensitive to minute changes in the amount of oxygen flowing in your body. So even if there is a slight drop, the device will catch this fluctuation and show you. The reading on a pulse oximeter shows how effectively your blood carries oxygen around different parts of your body.
You can easily purchase this device online from MRI Diagnostics and use it daily to keep tabs on your oxygen levels. This gadget most commonly attaches itself to your finger. In a professional setting, this device is used in emergency rooms, most commonly by pulmonologists.
This helps them check if the patient has asthma, pneumonia, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), anemia, lung cancer, or any congenital heart disease. The oximeter you purchase must have an accuracy range of four to six percent.
Generally, you need a reading above 89% to be considered healthy. You may deal with severe ailments if the saturation is below this level. A saturation reading of 95% is typical among healthy individuals, while those at 92% and below may have low levels of oxygen present in their blood.
2. Blood Pressure Monitor:
People with hypertension who struggle to maintain their blood pressure in check need a BP monitor. This is because your body needs to pump with a certain amount of pressure. If it is low, you may not get enough blood around your body, and your heart may be in distress if it is too high. In such cases, a BP machine helps ensure that your pressure follows the prescribed range.
Previously, pharmaceuticals stocked manual pumps that required you to use a stethoscope to pick up your heartbeat. However, the digital version of these medical devices are now available in the market. They use a cuff that goes around your arm and automatically picks up your heart rate and displays it for you.
You can also purchase BP machines around your wrist, which are smaller than those around your arm. Your reading should be around 110/70 to 120/80. If it is higher or lower than this range, you need to see a doctor and get the appropriate medication to control these levels.
3. Thermometer:
Your body functions at a specific temperature. This is important for your metabolic processes and cell activity. If your temperature is too high, it can impact the inside’s enzymatic reaction. If your body temperature becomes too low, you can once again dangerously tip the delicate balance your body is maintaining.
However, your temperature rises and falls because of many reasons. You may be dealing with a disease, having a fever, recently getting vaccinated, or struggling with a cold. When your body temperature fluctuates, you will feel the effects of this change. You may start sweating, trembling, and even burning up if you have a fever.
On the other hand, if you are cold, your teeth may chatter, your body may shiver, and you may find yourself shaking. Therefore, the only way you can know what’s happening inside your body is by using a thermometer. You can conveniently place these small medical devices under your tongue and get a reading within a few seconds.
Make sure you invest in a digital thermometer since these are highly accurate; unlike mercury thermometers, you don’t need to shake them. The average human body temperature is between 97F to 99F, so if your body temperature is above or below this range, you need to go to the doctor.
4. Blood Glucose Monitors:
There is a certain amount of glucose present in your blood. This gives your body energy to carry out metabolic activities. But, the glucose levels in your blood must be maintained at a certain threshold, which the hormone insulin takes care of.
But unfortunately, if you have diabetes or have symptoms of prediabetes, your body may not produce sufficient insulin, causing your body to become flooded with glucose.
This is dangerous and can put your body in a state of shock. So, getting a blood glucose monitor is your best bet in ensuring that your blood sugar stays at a manageable level.
These small, portable medical devices require a droplet of blood that you put on a strip and insert into the device. To prick your finger, you will need to use the lancing device that comes with the machine.
Don’t attempt to use a needle or sharp object since this can lead to a severe injury and cause you to spill more blood than needed.
Around fasting, your blood sugar level should be 99 mg/DL or lower. You may be prediabetic if you have a reading of 100 to 125 mg/DL. Likewise, a reading of 126 mg/DL means you have diabetes.
Final Thoughts:
Looking after your health is a multi-layered process. Apart from maintaining a healthy routine, you need to use medical devices that can help you monitor your vital signs. This enables you to steer clear of any severe ailment and make the required lifestyle changes to prevent yourself from falling sick. While there are numerous products lining pharmacies, stick to those that are generally used in routine exams.
This includes getting a pulse oximeter device to keep tabs on your oxygen saturation, a blood pressure monitor for your BP troubles, and a thermometer so your body temperature is not fluctuating to dangerous extremes. You also need a blood sugar monitor to monitor your glucose levels. This is exceptionally useful for those with diabetes or prediabetic symptoms.
