Vital Sign Monitoring Devices Guide

Health should always be your number one priority. Being able to closely monitor and keep track of your vital signs is certainly a good way to get better insight into your current health condition. And now, it’s possible to do this at home thanks to the devices powered by batteries that are easy to use. You can check your blood pressure and coagulation as well as glucose levels at any time and with that act in a timely manner to avoid serious health complications from happening.

Devices That Test Your Blood Coagulation

Coagulation is a natural process in which the human blood changes its state from liquid to gel-like, eventually forming a blood clot which is supposed to stop hemorrhage (blood loss). Hemorrhage can happen for a number of reasons among which trauma, some medical conditions or medications. It can occur both internally and externally.

Diverse medical conditions can affect the coagulation process and people can experience excessive bleeding (the blood clot isn’t being formed on time or at all) or excessive clotting (formation of blood clots even when there isn’t a need for one). These conditions should be closely monitored and treated with proper medications in order to prevent serious complications.

If you’re at risk of coagulation problems, the smart thing to do is to buy a blood coagulation monitoring device (INR machine) that gives you the freedom to test your PT/INR (prothrombin time and international normalized ratio) at home, while you’re on the go or wherever you happen to be.

You can choose INR testing machines that come with Bluetooth technology that allow you to wirelessly transmit your PT/INR results to your healthcare provider. Also, this device allows you to see your most recent result so that you can keep track of any possible variations. It works with the help of test strips and you get results about your PT in a few seconds.

If you’re new at this it’s recommended to get the complete set consisting of the coagucheck device for coagulation testing, batteries for the device, testing strips, lancets and a lancing device as well as a manual with all the instructions and answers to the questions you might have. All of this should be safely stored in a carry case. This case is compact enough so that you can take it anywhere with you and you’ll have everything at hand when needed.

INR machines allow patients that are on oral anticoagulation therapy to regularly monitor their PT/INR levels, watch how they respond to the therapy and see if the situations progress or worsens overtime. The INR testing machines can significantly improve your life quality and help you be more involved in the management of your condition.

Blood Pressure Monitors

The blood pressure rate actually shows the amount of force the human heart uses in order to pump the blood around the body. The measurement for blood pressure is mmHg (millimetres of mercury) and the results give you the rate of both your systolic pressure (when the heart pushes the blood out) and diastolic pressure (when the heart rests between beats).

A normal blood pressure is considered to be anything between 90/60mmHg and 120/80mmHg. Anything below or above this rate is considered to be low blood pressure and high blood pressure respectively. Many medical conditions as well as stressful lifestyle cause blood pressure variations. Luckily there are medications that can help you restore your normal pressure rate.

It’s recommended for anyone that has problems with the blood pressure to have a blood pressure monitor at home with which he/she could keep track of the variations, see if the prescribed therapy works and eventually avoid heart diseases and strokes. Blood pressure monitors are super easy to use and give accurate results in seconds. It consists out of an inflatable cuff that you place around the upper part of your arm and a monitor device on which you read the results.

You can even get a wearable blood pressure monitor that looks like a regular watch and is worn on the wrist. With the help of the wrist monitor, you can even see how different activities affect your heart and your pressure rate.

Easy to Use Blood Glucose Meters

Blood glucose is the sugar found in the blood that comes from the ingested food. Blood glucose is considered to be an important source of energy and is crucial for the proper functioning of the organs, muscles and nervous system. In order to keep the amount of sugar in the blood at normal rates, the pancreas produces the insulin hormone which sends the excess sugar into the liver. On the other hand, if there isn’t enough glucose in the blood, the pancreas releases glucagon hormone which raises the blood sugar levels when necessary.

When the pancreas fails to do its job of regulating glucose, blood sugar variations happen (the blood sugar levels are too low or too high) and the person is said to have diabetes. Leaving this condition untreated leads to cardiovascular problems, nerve damage, kidney damage, eye damage and the list goes on.

You can discover that you have diabetes through regular blood checks at your doctor’s office or by measuring your blood sugar levels at home with the help of blood glucose meters. Blood glucose meters are small devices that work with the help of a testing strip and show you the glucose levels in a matter of seconds.

This useful device can help you monitor how different diet regimens affect your blood sugar levels as well as how you respond to blood sugar medications. For instance, if your blood sugar levels are too low you need to eat something sweet like manuka honey in order to prevent a diabetic coma. Sometimes you won’t even feel the glucose levels dropping, that’s why regular testing at home is important. All you need to do is attach the testing strip on the glucose meter, prick your fingertip with the lancet and squeeze until a drop of blood forms. Then hold the edge of the strip on top of the blood drop and wait for a few seconds until you see the results.