General Health Topics - Medical Identification

Hello Everyone,

It has been a while since I have written about this topic. However, several things have happened in the area which brings the topic to the forefront.

Wearing medical ID is so important and it is a potentially life saving practice. Are you diabetic, have a pacemaker, defibrillator or other heart condition? Do you have asthma, epilepsy or on anti-coagulation medicine? If you have any of these or other medical conditions, you need to let people know.

One of the easiest ways to notify people that you have a condition that requires special attention in the event of an emergency, is to be wearing some sort of medical ID.

For example, a gentleman is in the grocery store and faints suddenly. The bystanders come to his aid and the first thought may be that he has had a heart attack. The paramedics are called and they arrive in a few minutes but the patient has not revived. He is taken to a local hospital when he makes a full recovery.

Taking the same scenario, a gentleman goes down in the grocery store. This time he is wearing a medical ID bracelet that identifies him as having diabetes. This information is relayed to the paramedics. Since a common problem with diabetics is having an episode of LOW blood sugar (hypoglycemia), this could alert bystanders or emergency personnel that the first step to take would be to try to revive the patient with glucose. The patient is administered a dose of glucose in the store, he recovers and a trip to the hospital may not be necessary.

The Medical ID can be in the form of a bracelet, pendant or watch tag. I recommend that the ID be something that you wear, not just in your pocket. There are wallet cards, key fobs and other types, however, in the case of emergency, you may not have your wallet or keys on your person.

There are many companies that can provide you a Medical ID. They are not free, however, it is a good investment.

Please take a few minutes and obtain a Medical ID. It may save your life!

Until Later

Dr. Paul