Most people will use technology for entertainment and information purposes, whether that’s through streaming content to reading up on the latest news. But you can also apply technology at your fingertips to look after your health. Advances in mobile and smart technology mean that people can have more control over their health and can get readings on various bodily functions without even leaving their homes. So, how can you use technology to look after your health?
Track Your Fitness
Fitness tracking technology is becoming more advanced, enabling people to get a more accurate picture of their health than ever before. In their simplest forms, fitness trackers measure your heart rate, count your number of steps, and estimate how many calories you’ve burned. However, technological advances mean that smartwatches and fitness bands are now complex fitness devices that can offer a whole range of functions. Fitness trackers in the 2020s can monitor your sleep quality, carry out ECG readings, measure the oxygen level in your blood, and even play your favorite music while you work out.
Lower Blood Pressure
Keeping your blood pressure in check is vital for overall health. High blood pressure is life-threatening and can increase your risk of a stroke or heart attack and numerous other health conditions. Low blood pressure, meanwhile, can cause weakness, dizziness, and fainting, and can even deprive your body of sufficient oxygen and potentially lead to heart or brain damage. Thanks to technology, however, you no longer have to visit the doctor to get your blood pressure monitored. There is a range of wireless blood pressure monitors on the market that are easy to use and are clinically validated. Using heart health algorithms and via an app, these devices enable you to accurately measure your blood pressure and share the data with your doctor. Many of these devices are compatible with most smartphone models.
Keep Updated
While there are lots of ways you can look after your health by using technology, don’t forget that new technologies are constantly being invented and prototyped. As long as there are investments in up-and-coming health software, there will always be new medical technologies emerging, so make sure you keep track of these. Investors such as entrepreneur Tej Kohli and Mercia’s Adapttech are currently backing new AI and robotics biotechnology ventures; whilst Jeff Bezos is funding a project that uses technology to potentially prolong human life. Keep yourself updated on the science and healthcare headlines and consider registering with tech media companies for regular email updates.
Support Mental Health
Your mental health is just as important as your physical health, so, fortunately, technology is acknowledging this. While it’s always recommended that you seek proper professional advice for any mental health condition, every extra little bit of support is welcomed. There is no shortage of mental health mobile apps and these range from apps dedicated to suicide prevention, general mental wellbeing, cognitive behavior therapy, addiction support, habit trackers, and many, many more. As yet, you can’t guarantee that such apps are always professionally regulated, so make sure that you do your research before downloading one to your device. Thankfully, researchers are working to establish guidelines for mental health apps, with the American Psychiatric Association devising an advisory system to assess and rate these apps.
Conclusion
Technology within healthcare has come a long way; not just in terms of what can be achieved medically, but how it can be carried out. Advances in smart technology have allowed people to undergo medical assessments from the comfort of their own homes.