When Should You Wear a Medical Alert Bracelet

What Is A Medic Alert Bracelet And Why is It Important To Wear One In The UK?

Introduction

Medic alert bracelets are growing in popularity in the UK as the awareness around their effectiveness increases. However, there are still so many people who should be wearing one but do not know what they are and their ability to save lives.

There are currently 1 in 3 people who suffer from a chronic illness in the UK, which amounts to a staggering 15 million people throughout the country. Of those 1 in 3 people, there is the estimation that at least a third of those people suffer from more than one chronic illness.

There are many people who should wear a medical alert bracelet in the UK but currently do not. They can, have, and do save lives in the face of emergency medical situations.

They hold your crucial medical information that can be so important to the medical care you receive when an emergency arises.

Medic alert bracelets are recognised throughout the UK by medical professionals, first aiders, and emergency services personnel as the most legitimate and effective way of communicating your specific, or indeed restrictive, needs when it comes to frontline emergency care.

The personal medical information they hold about you can make your care and treatment suitable for you and save your life.

What Is A Chronic Illness?

A chronic illness is a condition or disease that needs medical intervention, either by pharmaceutical or physical means, that lasts in excess of one year. 

Chronic diseases are often those conditions that do not have any cure, and the person who has them must learn to live with the chronic illness as part of their day, every day.

The effect of a chronic illness can vary from person to person, and there is nothing that will stop a chronic illness from striking anyone at any time. 

There are no known groups of people who are “immune” to any chronic illness; however, there are groups of people who can be more pre-disposed to certain chronic illnesses, including:

• The elderly population
• Those who are immuno-compromised
• Those people who have primary diseases and conditions, such as Cancer
• Those people who have congenital defects that leave a chronic illness as its marker
• Those who are restricted in the movements
• Premature babies and young children

This list is certainly not exhaustive, and everyone has their own risk factor when it comes to the chances of developing a chronic illness. Suppose you have any of these conditions, plus many more. In that case, you are now probably asking yourself, “do I need a medical alert bracelet?”.

What Is A Medic Alert Bracelet?

Medic alert jewellery is something that you physically wear on a daily basis. Most of the time, it is a bracelet, but it can also be a necklace or some other form of wearable jewellery.

There will be a small “Medic” emblem on the jewellery that signifies to medical professionals that this holds crucial medical information about the wearer that will require them to receive specialised or more immediate medical attention.

Not all medic alert jewellery is the same. 

These days, you can actually have a really delicate and practical piece of wearable jewelllery that looks beautiful and can save your life too!

The information about you and your medical needs can also vary. Not everyone will have the same urgent requirements as the next person. Still, there are some key components you should include. 

The information below should be included in your medic alert jewellery. This will ensure that your medic alert jewellery gives out the crucial information about your medical needs when you absolutely need it the most. 

This information includes: 

1. Name- This should be your full name for communication purposes and to make sure that, in the case of hospital admission, they can identify you correctly when looking for your records
2. Medical Conditions- There can be many placed on the jewellery, but it’s best to indicate the most important ones first. If the list is long, use abbreviations that can be universally identified.
3. Allergies- This is crucial information for a medic who may be treating you in an emergency situation regarding the elements of care they use, such as medication and equipment.
4. Emergency medications- Some people carry emergency medication that could help in a lifesaving situation, such as an EpiPen or GTN spray, so it is essential to note it on the jewellery information.
5. Emergency Contact Information- if something happens and a medical professional has to treat you or take you to the hospital, it’s always best to have the contact information of a friend or family member on there so they can be called and informed of the situation.

Apart from all this information, it is also crucially important that those who wear a medical alert bracelet UK continually update the crucial information when their medical circumstances change or your contact information changes. Irrelevant and out-of-date information is next to useless if a medical emergency or incident was to occur.

Who Should Wear A Medic Alert Bracelet UK?

If you are still wondering, “do I need a medical alert bracelet” then read on to see if it is something you should have.

Medic alert bracelets are suitable to wear for anyone who has a chronic illness, an incurable condition, or someone who has specific medical requirements. 

It can highlight their conditions where they can and cannot have some aspects of medical assistance as part of their potential treatment, such as allergies or intolerances.

Here are some examples of some chronic illnesses, medical conditions, and instances where wearing a medic alert bracelet can be beneficial in case of an emergency situation:

• Asthma (and any medication they use to relieve their symptoms)
• Allergies (especially latex and penicillin)
• Blood Clotting Disorders and medical management (such as warfarin therapy)
• Epilepsy (The types of seizures are crucially important too)
• People who carry Epi-pens (for allergies and anaphylaxis)
• Those who have kidney failure and receive dialysis (they have fluid restrictions in place)
• Diabetics, especially IDDM (Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus)
• Those who have a very rare blood type or platelet condition
• Cancer patients (those who are undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy)
• Transplant patients (Kidney, heart, lung, and liver)
• Food intolerances and allergies (Gluten, peanuts, and shellfish)

These are just examples of groups of people who should wear a medical alert bracelet UK who have something that requires slightly different medical care if an emergency arises.

Having a medic alert bracelet will alert medical professionals to some exceptional circumstances regarding their care, which can be the difference between survival and death in situations where the patient may not be able to communicate their specific needs themselves, such as unconsciousness or anaphylaxis where speech may be rendered useless.

Conclusion

If you have a chronic illness, a medical condition, or anything that requires you to receive medical care in a different way than the norm and you are still wondering, “do I need a medical alert bracelet?” the answer is probably yes.

When it comes to an emergency situation, and you require frontline medical attention there and then, that medical care is likely to come from a stranger who does not know you personally, let alone the medical conditions or allergies they cannot see.

Medic alert jewellery will effectively get all your crucial information across to the person treating you to ensure that the emergency care you receive is appropriate to you and the incident. They can also ensure that the care will not exacerbate any chronic illnesses you already have, thus making the whole situation much worse.

The medic alert emblem is a nationally recognised feature among medical professionals and first aiders. They will immediately know that there needs to be more care taken with your medical attention. Of course, you could tell them, but there may be certain circumstances where you will not be able to speak; in these circumstances, the medic alert jewellery can do the communicating for you.

Wearing the jewellery, often a bracelet but sometimes a necklace or even a watch, needn’t be a cumbersome and obvious alert to everyone every day! 

These days, the jewellery can be made to specification, so it is delicate and wearable. It also holds that crucial information that can be beneficial to your care in the face of an emergency situation.

Many lives have been saved and preserved vis the adornment of medic alert jewellery, and it really can be the difference between a great and healthy outcome to a not-so-happy ending.