Stuck at home? Here are some tools to help manage your health

With nearly 30 per cent of UAE residents suffering from hypertension, according to the National Health Survey 2017-18, it’s crucial to stay on top of the condition while sequestered in one’s own residence.

To start with, you’ll need the right tools for the job, and Omron’s Evolv automatic blood pressure monitor checks a few boxes in this regard. Without tubes, pumps or wires, this cuff goes around your upper arm and syncs via Bluetooth with any iPhone or Android device, allowing users to study their BP trends over time. This is helpful when adjusting your diet and exercise regimen so you’ll know what impact HIIT workouts are having versus running up your building’s stairwell, or how effective reducing your sodium intake is for lowering BP.

Diabetes

The WHO has announced that people with diabetes – as well as conditions such as asthma and heart disease – may be more susceptible to falling severely ill after contracting coronavirus.

Managing your blood glucose levels during the pandemic can be made easier with Accu-Chek’s MySugr app (available on Android and iOS). Sporting a slick user interface, MySugr makes it easy to keep tabs on your diet, meds, carbs and sugar levels through a simple logging mechanism. An array of graphs let users track trends on a daily, weekly and monthly basis, while the app has gamified the self-care regime with user challenges.

Activity

With large and small gyms across the UAE – and much of the world – shuttered for nearly a month now, it’s important to be able to stay active within your own home. Luckily, there’s a universe of applications, videos, programmes and relatively inexpensive gear to help.

Fitbit’s latest smartwatch, the Versa 2, offers users comprehensive heart rate-tracking over the course of a workout, with total calories burned, calories per minute, heart rate per minute and time spent in fat burn, cardio and peak zones. Fitbit is also offering users a 90-day trial of its Premium service, which provides a series of guided workouts covering various muscle groups, advancement levels and workout durations.

Fever

Whether or not it’s a symptom of Covid-19, coming down with a fever in 2020 can feel a bit scarier than usual and even more so when it’s a young child with a high temperature. Tools such as Beurer’s FT65 multi-functional thermometer can accurately gauge body temperature from both ear and forehead. It’s got a large display, LED temperature alarm and a host of other features, including the ability to measure the temperature of liquids and objects – useful for checking baby milk, for example. The FT65 is also easy to sterilise, after which you can share it between family members without having to worry about infection.

Sleep

Most of us recognise the importance of getting enough shut-eye, but what about quality of sleep? Experts say it’s an issue in the UAE. In an interview last month with Gulf News, Dr Trilok Chand, Specialist in Respiratory Medicine at Burjeel Hospital Abu Dhabi, said, “Snoring is directly related to obesity and weight gain, so the prevalence is high in the UAE. In a recent report, WHO states that 67 per cent of Emirati men and 72 per cent of Emirati women are overweight, and about 39.9 per cent of UAE women and 25.6 per cent of men are obese.”

With this in mind, Philips’ Respironics offers a range of solutions to help tackle the issue of sleep apnoea. Its DreamMapper app provides a helpful interface that offers deep insights into the quality of a user’s sleep when paired with one of the brand’s advanced CPAP sleep therapy machines.

Meanwhile, Philips’ Wisp and DreamWear sleep apnoea masks can help alleviate the condition.

With a clear link between sleep apnoea and obesity, taking steps towards losing fat can help ease your symptoms. One product that helps track your progress is Huawei’s Smart Scale.

The scale helps users understand their body through nine key metrics: weight, body fat percentage, BMI, muscle mass, body water percentage, bone mass, protein, visceral fat and BMR. Since the Smart Scale can automatically recognise ten individuals, it’s great for families too.

As you’d expect from a tech giant such as Huawei, there’s a user-friendly app for collecting your readings.