Health Monitoring with Withings – Over the past 12 months we have been encouraged to stay at home due to COVID-19. Although restrictions are now lifting, this period of “time out’ has changed our lives dramatically. Speaking for myself, getting an NHS doctor’s appointment was almost impossible and when achievable often resulted in an awkward phone consultation. To help reduce pressure on the NHS a technology that is growing increasingly popular is remote health monitoring from home.
Self-monitoring or self-tracking is where individuals use intelligent tools like wearable sensors and mobile apps to collect, process and display a wealth of personal data allowing us to keep track of every waking (and sleeping) moment. This can range from counting steps, miles cycled, floors climbed, and calories consumed, to measure all kinds of bodily functions like blood pressure, heart rate and sleep patterns, enabling you to potentially improve your wellbeing, quality of life and personal efficiency.
Some of your home health checks enable your doctor to stay informed about their patient’s health when a face-to-face appointment isn’t possible or can be avoided. This enables the patient to pick up any irregularities in their health, potentially flagging an issue that needs further investigation. Although many areas of home monitoring have seen recent developments, the overall concept is not a new one. People with diabetes have been monitoring their blood sugar levels for decades based on home blood sugar testing apparatus, the overall concept has merely developed into additional areas.
Fortunately, consumer technology has now advanced to the point of being small, reliable and affordable. However, knowing how to use a health monitor correctly is paramount to getting accurate results and recognising any symptoms or health problems.
Not replacing the need for a doctor’s opinion, Withings has produced several ‘at home’ technology gadgets for monitoring your health and fitness, streamlining the process with corresponding gadgets that can connect with one another mapping out your complete health line from weight to diet to exercise and heart rate. If required, your data journal is yours to use and share. A few taps on your smartphone are all it takes to share measurements and results with professionals if you so desire.
One of the latest Withings additions to their existing range is the ScanWatch the first hybrid smartwatch to continuously scan vital parameters to detect heart health conditions and help improve overall fitness. It boasts a medical-grade ECG, an oximeter for SpO2 measures, and an exceptional battery life of up to 30 days on a single charge plus 20 more days in power reserve mode, so no need to keep charging.
This is probably one of the world’s most advanced health wearables giving you an insight into a host of information including the following:
Irregular beat detection
By recording heart rate periodically at the best time, ScanWatch sends a notification when an irregular heartbeat is detected.
Breathing disturbances detection
When activated, the Respiratory Scan can detect breathing disturbances via blood oxygen saturation levels, heart rate, breathing frequency and movement.
On-demand ECG
Medical-grade electrocardiogram in 30 seconds. An ECG is the best way to detect atrial fibrillation (AFib), a highly prevalent heart arrhythmia. It is a very serious condition that often goes undiagnosed because it can show no symptoms and/or not be present during doctor’s visits because the episodes can be intermittent.
In Europe, 1 out of 4 people will develop Afib.
Medical grade oxygen saturation
SpO2 provides a measurement of the haemoglobin, red blood cells carrying oxygen, in a person’s blood. Known as blood oxygen saturation, it is used for rapid assessment and monitoring of a patient’s respiratory function.
Heart rate tracking
Track heart rate continuously during workouts to optimize training and monitor daily and overnight heart rate to help improve health over time.
It will also record your sleep tracking and 24/7 activity tracking all available to view on your digital screen.
Additional health monitors in the Withings range include the following, all of which can be linked to your app and viewed together:
BPM CONNECT
1 in 3 adults have high blood pressure and may not show symptoms. This is the leading cause of heart disease and stroke. Home blood pressure monitoring helps to improve control rates and provide better prognostic indicators.
SMART SCALES
Withings Wi-Fi Smart Scales deliver a comprehensive picture to help anyone have a positive impact on your weight and health goals.
It provides detailed insights about the impact on body fat, muscle mass, and total body water, with every lifestyle change you make.
SLEEP ANALYZER – This is an under the mattress sleep tracking mat giving you an in-depth analysis of your night with sleep cycles, continuous heart rate and snore detection.
1 in 5 adults are estimated to have obstructive sleep apnea, and 80% of them are unaware they suffer from it. It is an underdiagnosed yet serious condition.
Sleep apnea causes fatigue and can have very serious health implications, including high blood pressure, arrhythmias, strokes, and heart failure.
For more information regarding the technology of Withings visit here…
Poppy Watt