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24 March 2019

4 DIY health checks you can carry out at home

 

The Kinetik Wellbeing Blood Glucose Monitoring System For Health Checks At Home

Everyone has a responsibility to look after their own health. What health checks can you make at home?

Increasingly busy lives and longer waiting times for routine medical appointments could cause you to miss an indication that something isn’t quite right with your health.  But there are steps that you can take to make sure you become aware of a potential issue before it develops into something more serious.

Leading a healthier lifestyle

Making adjustments to your diet and improving fitness will undoubtedly benefit your overall health.  A well-balanced diet will pack your body with the nutrients it needs to keep cholesterol and blood pressure at a healthy level which helps to prevent serious complications such as heart disease, cardiac arrest and stroke.  Combining a healthy diet with regular exercise will further improve your heart health, help prevent obesity and boost your mental wellbeing too.

Home-monitoring your health

Self-monitoring is more popular than ever and there are a range of devices on the market to help you keep a watchful eye on your health from the comfort of your own home.

What health checks can you carry out at home?

  1. Blood Pressure

High Blood Pressure is known as a ‘silent killer’ because it carries no recognisable symptoms.  But failure to treat it can have serious consequences for your health.  The only sure-fire way to detect Hypertension is by having regular blood pressure checks and understanding your reading.  Have a look at our blog post: What does my blood pressure reading actually mean? For tips on knowing your numbers.

Keeping a blood pressure monitor at home means you can take regular health checks and feedback any changes or concerns to your GP.  Kinetik Blood Pressure Monitors offer a range of features to suit your household and family needs.  For example, The Kinetik Advanced Blood Pressure Monitor X2 Comfort comes with a universal comfort cuff and a 3-user memory which allows use for your whole family.

Tip: When checking your blood pressure at home always ensure your heart-rate is at rest and try to take it at the same time each day.

  1. Glucose / Blood Sugar

High blood sugar (Hyperglycaemia) can have serious affects for people with both Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes.  When you live with Diabetes it is important that blood glucose levels are kept within your target range in order to stay healthy and avoid side effects such as heart disease and stroke.  This can be achieved with a home by regularly testing your blood glucose levels with blood glucose testing strips and a home glucose monitoring system.

Monitoring your blood sugar with a home monitor involves placing a drop of blood onto a test strip and inserting it into a compatible Glucose monitor, such as the Kinetik Wellbeing Blood Glucose Monitoring System which offers fast and discreet blood glucose testing whether you are at home or going about your daily routine.

Tip: The Kinetik Blood Glucose Monitoring System is eligible for VAT Relief in the UK.  Use our online form to apply for your VAT Exemption Code.

  1. Temperature

Every parent can find peace of mind by having a trusted thermometer in their family first aid kit.  Children can become ill quickly and a high temperature is often one of the first indicators that they are unwell.  Any detection of a rise in temperature can help you act quickly if you are concerned for your child’s wellbeing.

Kinetik Wellbeing have a choice of thermometers to suit your preference – Inner Ear or Non-Contact. There is no right or wrong option, but each style may work better for different families.  Read our Kinetik thermometer guide to help you decide which would work best for your family

Tip: Kinetik Wellbeing work in partnership with the nations leading First Aid charity, St John Ambulance.  Their website has a directory of first aid advice and health checks for parents – including this video on what to do if you think your child has a fever.

  1. Fitness

A wearable fitness tracker is a great tool for tracking your workouts.  You can monitor your distance, number of steps, calories burned and the length of your exercise.  By recording your stats you can also track progress and even pit yourself against your friends for some extra motivation.

Wearing a Heart Rate Monitor during exercise – such as the Kinetik Wellbeing HRM4 Heart Rate Monitor – will provide you with real-time, continuous and accurate heart rate data as you work out.  Measuring your heart rate will help you gauge the effectiveness of your workout – as your body becomes stronger through exercise, so does your heart.  Measuring your heart rate while exercising can highlight if you are pushing yourself too hard or if you could push harder to increase your fitness level further. It’s an ideal health check when you are on the go.

Tip: When training with a heart rate monitor, let your body settle into your workout before beginning to track results.  This will ensure a more accurate reading for your workout. 

** It is important to remember that whilst home health checks are an effective way of keeping your health in check, you should always consult a doctor if you are concerned about any symptoms or other aspects of yours or your family’s health. **

 

 

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