Medical gadgets to keep at home to monitor your health

Medical gadgets have experienced a sharp rise in demand ever since the pandemic struck in 2020. The aggressive infection rate of COVID-19 has resulted in multiple lockdowns and heightened alerts, and in turn, discouraged citizens from leaving the house especially to visit high-risk places such as hospitals and clinics. While staying at home can curb the spread of the virus, discouraging citizens from seeking professional medical assistance has its negative impact on society. Thus, it is imperative that we keep a couple of essential medical gadgets at home to monitor our health.

Contactless Infrared Thermometer

Given that fever is one of the symptoms of COVID-19, it is important that we keep an infrared thermometer as a convenient and quick method to monitor our body temperature. While all kinds of thermometer would suffice, an infrared model allows you to detect one’s body temperature at a further range.

Digital Blood Pressure Monitor

Reports by The Straits Times indicate a spike in family violence and a surge in mental health issues since the circuit breaker kicked in on 7 April last year. (Cheon, 2020) Stress, coupled with an inactive lifestyle, can easily result in hypertension and even stroke. Hence, it is important to monitor your blood pressure regularly, especially if you are older or have a past history of high blood pressure or cardiovascular problems.

Pulse Oxymeter

The Pulse Oxymeter not only comes in handy in monitoring our oxygen level, an important (but not absolute) indicator of whether we are infected with COVID-19, but it is also a vital health gadget to have at home. Medical experts recommend keeping one close by your side especially if you are diagnosed with respiratory or cardiovascular diseases.

Do note that oxygen levels below 90% requires immediate medical attention as the healthy concentration of oxygen in one’s body should be above 95%

Glucometer

This may not be as applicable to the masses, but those who have a diabetic family will benefit from purchasing a glucometer. It is a small device that can instantly monitor your blood sugar levels. But, even if you don’t, it is still not a hassle to keep one at home in case anybody is feeling giddy or faints.

ECG Monitor

Lastly, this might be a bit bulkier than the other medical devices, but it is an important one to keep at home if you are diagnosed with heart diseases. An ECG monitor keeps a check on your heart rhythm which is an important routine to adopt if you are not visiting the clinic as often due to the pandemic.

Some studies have indicated that COVID-19 patients are at risk of heart attacks and while that may be concerning, you should consult your doctor before purchasing an ECG monitor and using it at home.