Diagnostic Equipment
Diagnostic Equipment
When you hear “diagnostic equipment,” you probably think of complex machines like MRIs and X-ray scanners. In reality, diagnostic equipment runs the gamut from massive, expensive, technologically advanced machinery to simple items that you probably use daily.
Common types of home medical diagnostic equipment include medical thermometers, blood glucose testing systems, pulse oximeters, blood pressure cuffs or monitors, and even home EKG machines.
Thermometers
The humble home thermometer may be simple, but it’s still an essential diagnostic tool that should be in every home. Today there are more options than ever, from the old-fashioned analog glass thermometer (now mercury-free) to digital oral, ear thermometers, forehead or temporal thermometers, and even touch-free models.
Glucose Monitors
For people with diabetes, a glucose monitor is an essential piece of home diagnostic equipment. Glucose monitors enable testing the level of glucose (sugar) in your blood by using glucose test strips. There are a number of brands on the market, and your doctor can help you decide which glucose monitor is right for you.
Blood Pressure Cuffs/Monitors
Blood pressure monitors and cuffs can be a vital diagnostic tool for people suffering from high blood pressure. Taking your blood pressure (or someone else’s) requires a monitor (which displays the reading) and a cuff (which inflates around an arm, leg, or even wrist so that the reading can be taken.)
Monitors typically come with an average-sized cuff, but special-use options for large or small arms or alternative body parts such as the thigh are also available.
Pulse Oximeters
Once confined to the hospital setting, the pulse oximeter or pulse ox is an inexpensive, portable home diagnostic tool. As the name implies, a pulse ox monitors both your pulse rate and the amount of oxygen in your blood. It’s a non-invasive piece of technology that clips lightly onto your fingertip and uses painless light waves to measure your level of oxygen.
People with severe asthma, other chronic respiratory problems, or certain heart conditions may need a pulse oximeter at home.
Spirometers
A spirometer is a diagnostic tool that measures the amount of air that you can inhale and exhale. It may be essential for people with asthma, with chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) such as emphysema, cystic fibrosis, or post-surgical care for people who have had a lung transplant.
Home EKG Devices
The electrocardiogram (EKG) is another diagnostic tool that has moved from the hospital to the home. An EKG monitors your heart rhythm and, in the case of the house or personal EKG machine, stores the information gathered in a smartphone app so that you can share it with your doctor. This can be lifesaving for people with atrial fibrillation (AFib) — a common type of heart condition in which the heart beats erratically.
“Diagnostic” doesn’t mean “for doctors only” or “difficult to use” — even your fitness tracker is potentially a diagnostic tool. From ear thermometers to pulse oximeters, SimplyMedical.com has the diagnostic equipment you need.
When you hear “diagnostic equipment,” you probably think of complex machines like MRIs and X-ray scanners. In reality, diagnostic equipment runs the gamut from massive, expensive, technologically advanced machinery to simple items that you probably use daily.
Common types of home medical diagnostic equipment include medical thermometers, blood glucose testing systems, pulse oximeters, blood pressure cuffs or monitors, and even home EKG machines.
Thermometers
The humble home thermometer may be simple, but it’s still an essential diagnostic tool that should be in every home. Today there are more options than ever, from the old-fashioned analog glass thermometer (now mercury-free) to digital oral, ear thermometers, forehead or temporal thermometers, and even touch-free models.
Glucose Monitors
For people with diabetes, a glucose monitor is an essential piece of home diagnostic equipment. Glucose monitors enable testing the level of glucose (sugar) in your blood by using glucose test strips. There are a number of brands on the market, and your doctor can help you decide which glucose monitor is right for you.
Blood Pressure Cuffs/Monitors
Blood pressure monitors and cuffs can be a vital diagnostic tool for people suffering from high blood pressure. Taking your blood pressure (or someone else’s) requires a monitor (which displays the reading) and a cuff (which inflates around an arm, leg, or even wrist so that the reading can be taken.)
Monitors typically come with an average-sized cuff, but special-use options for large or small arms or alternative body parts such as the thigh are also available.
Pulse Oximeters
Once confined to the hospital setting, the pulse oximeter or pulse ox is an inexpensive, portable home diagnostic tool. As the name implies, a pulse ox monitors both your pulse rate and the amount of oxygen in your blood. It’s a non-invasive piece of technology that clips lightly onto your fingertip and uses painless light waves to measure your level of oxygen.
People with severe asthma, other chronic respiratory problems, or certain heart conditions may need a pulse oximeter at home.
Spirometers
A spirometer is a diagnostic tool that measures the amount of air that you can inhale and exhale. It may be essential for people with asthma, with chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) such as emphysema, cystic fibrosis, or post-surgical care for people who have had a lung transplant.
Home EKG Devices
The electrocardiogram (EKG) is another diagnostic tool that has moved from the hospital to the home. An EKG monitors your heart rhythm and, in the case of the house or personal EKG machine, stores the information gathered in a smartphone app so that you can share it with your doctor. This can be lifesaving for people with atrial fibrillation (AFib) — a common type of heart condition in which the heart beats erratically.
“Diagnostic” doesn’t mean “for doctors only” or “difficult to use” — even your fitness tracker is potentially a diagnostic tool. From ear thermometers to pulse oximeters, SimplyMedical.com has the diagnostic equipment you need.