Should I monitor my health at home?

Monitoring your health can be useful. It helps you understand what your ‘normal’ is, so that you will know when to contact your healthcare professional if you notice something out of the ordinary. Knowing your numbers might also help motivate you to make healthier lifestyle choices.

Blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen levels are easy to monitor at home and there are lots of affordable and simple devices on the market. Blood pressure monitors are also free to use at GP surgeries and most pharmacies. There are also many apps and smart devices that can help you track your heart rate and oxygen levels.

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There are other things you can measure at home, such as blood glucose (blood sugars) but this usually only needs to be monitored if your healthcare specialist has asked you to do so. You can ask your doctor or nurse if you would like to know which numbers would be the most useful to monitor, as well as how often you should check them and at what time of day.

Take care when home monitoring: checking your numbers too often can increase health anxiety, so it might not be as helpful if this is something you struggle with. You can still check your numbers at your GP or pharmacy. It’s also important to remember that most apps and wearable devices are not always as accurate as tests your doctor can do. These devices can give helpful information but should not be used to make a diagnosis.