A Medical Alert Device Can Save Your Life ? When Do You Need One?
It’s an unfortunate fact of life today that almost everyone past the age of thirty has a medical condition which could threaten your life in a situation where you can’t speak for yourself. Let’s say you have a heart murmur, and your doctor has told you that if you are to have any dental work, you must take penicillin for a few days prior to the dentist appointment. You would probably not think that you need a medical alert device. However, if you’re in an accident and are taken to the emergency room, the attending physician might need to put stitches in your mouth, unaware of your condition. The simplest of medical alert devices, a medical bracelet, might well save your life. Do you have one?
If you have any chronic health condition, you should, at the very least, have a medical alert device such as a bracelet. It’s also adviseable to carry a medical alert wallet card which describes medications you’re taking and the diagnosis of your medical conditions.
Other medical conditions require, for safety’s sake, a more sophisticated medical alert device. For example, your Grandma is eldely and suffers from osteoarthritis. She prefers living alone in her own home, but you live in constant fear that she’ll fall and break her hip, unable to get help. Medical alert devices are so sophisticated these days. You can get her a bracelet-style device that allows her to press a button which patches her through to the medical alert organization. They trace her location and help is on the way.
The more sophisticated medical alert devices have a complete record of all medications prescribed, allergies to foods and medicines, doctor’s contacts and hospitals, as well as insurance information. All of this vital information is stored on a chip within the device. Should Grandma find herself incapacitated, she’ll be well cared for, even if you happen to be out of town.
There are so many people with chronic conditions who don’t think twice about what might happen in an emergency. If you are diabetic, have heart problems, a thyroid condition or are simply allergic to certain medications, it just makes sense to invest in a medical alert device. Kids with any chronic condition or allergy should always be protected with an appropriate device. You never know when you might need it.
If you have any chronic health problem for which you regularly take medication, consult with your doctor to see what type of device, if any, you might benefit from carrying. Go with that advice. Advise other family members with chronic conditions to do the same.
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