Why Wear A Medical Bracelet If You Have A Blood Condition?
If you have a blood condition, wearing a medical bracelet can help you communicate your condition to others better and may save your life during an emergency.
What are blood conditions?
A blood condition is any disorder that impacts one or more parts of the blood, usually interfering with its ability to clot, antibodies or fully support the body. While some blood disorders are hereditary, some can develop as a result of other diseases, medications or lack of nutrients in your diet.
There are a variety blood conditions:
- Anaemia – A condition in which you lack enough healthy red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen to your body’s tissues. Read more on Anaemia.
- Haemophilia – Usually an inherited bleeding disorder in which the blood does not clot properly. This can lead to spontaneous bleeding as well as bleeding following injuries or surgery. This is more common in men.
- Leukocytosis – A high white blood cell count can indicate a range of conditions, including infections, inflammation, injury and immune system disorders.
- Polycythemia Vera – A rare blood cancer that affects the bone marrow.
- Sickle Cell Disease – A group of inherited red blood cell disorders. Healthy red blood cells are round, moving through small blood vessels to carry oxygen to all parts of the body. With SCD, the blood cells are C-shaped and become hard and sticky.
- Thalassemia – An inherited blood disorder where the body doesn’t make enough haemoglobin.
- Von Willebrand's Disease – A blood disorder in which the blood does not clot properly. This is more likely to cause easy bruising and nosebleeds. Read more on Von Willebrand’s.
- Leukaemia – Cancer of the white blood cells.
- Hypocalcaemia – When you have too little calcium in your blood.
- Factor 7 Deficiency – A rare bleeding disorder that varies in severity among affected individuals.
- ITP - Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura is a blood disorder characterized by a decrease in the number of platelets in the blood.
- IgA Deficiency - Immunoglobulin A is an antibody blood protein that's part of your immune system to help fight off sickness. Having an IgA Deficiency means that you have low levels of IgA in your blood. Find out more on IgA Deficiency.
Medical News Today explains blood disorders in further detail.
Anaemia is the most common blood condition, affecting more than 2 billion people globally, which is more than 30% of the total population. Knowing your specific type of blood disorder and engraving it onto a medical bracelet is important as it helps medical professionals give you the best possible treatment quickly and effectively.
How a medical bracelet can support you in an emergency?
A medical bracelet is designed to alert people of your medical conditions or any other concerns you might have that may be relevant to your care in the event you become unconscious or otherwise incapacitated. Medical alert jewellery is conveniently placed at your pulse points at your wrist and neck, so when first responders check your pulse, they will automatically find out what conditions you have or what medication you take, so the right treatment can be administered quickly.
Do I need a medical bracelet if I have a blood condition?
Blood thinners cannot be mixed with other medication.
Blood thinning medication, such as Warfarin, is commonly used to treat blood clots. However, it is essential that these types of medications are not mixed with others as some antibiotics can actually increase your risk of bleeding out in an emergency. If this happens, then it is important to know how to stop it; usually, applying pressure on the wound helps to stop the bleeding.
Read more on how to stop bleeding when on blood thinners.
Wearing a medical bracelet can inform emergency workers that you’re on blood thinners or anticoagulants (such as Apixaban, Rivaroxaban or Warfarin), so they can provide you with an alternate form of treatment that will ensure no negative impacts would come out of it. Listing blood-thinning medications can also alert the emergency services to potential internal bleeding.
Certain blood disorders can cause a shortness of breath.
Blood conditions like Anaemia can cause a shortness of breath in some cases. When this happens, it is important medical staff don’t mistake this for asthma or any other breathing-relating conditions.
Wearing a medical bracelet with this information engraved onto it allows medical workers to know why you have a shortness of breath and speed up effective treatment instead of wasting time figuring out what is wrong with you.
Supports children with a blood condition.
Many children are affected with a blood disorder, especially as some diseases can be inherited from your parents. Common blood conditions in children include, Thalassemia, Haemophilia, Sickle Cell Disease and Von Willebrand’s Disease.
Roswellpark.org explains Blood Disorders in children in further detail.
As a parent it can be tough to see your child go through something like this, but knowing how to manage the symptoms is essential. Wearing a medical bracelet can support your child when they are away from home or in someone else’s care. Children can sometimes find it difficult to pronounce long conditions, so wearing a medical bracelet with this sort of information can explain their symptoms in an emergency, especially when they’re unconscious or otherwise incapacitated.
What should I engrave on my blood conditions bracelet?
You may wish to include your name, which blood condition you have, details of any allergies and where to find your medication (if you take any).
Including details of your treatment for your blood condition is important, as this ensures that medical staff are able to correctly identify your condition. This also means that any symptoms you are experiencing do not get mistaken for something else.
As a guideline, your bracelet should say “On Warfarin” or “On Anticoagulants” if you take any blood thinning medication, or state the type of blood condition you have, so it explains your symptoms when you cannot.
We recommend that all medical bracelets or necklaces include a medical symbol. This means that if you become unwell and are unable to communicate, people that check your pulse can find your medical alert bracelet and information about your blood condition. Helping others to understand your condition means you can receive the right treatment, as symbols will attract the attention of medical staff.
If you are going with a medical alert bracelet with custom wording, it can be helpful to add a name or phone number to help with identification or to keep you in touch with your family.
Where to go for more support for your blood condition?
If you have a blood condition you might feel overwhelmed or unsure as to how you should manage your lifestyle. However, it is important to connect with others who have the same conditions as they are likely to share similar experiences. You may also find it helpful to read about other people’s experiences with living with a blood condition.
Have a read about other people’s experiences with blood disorders.
If you are taking blood thinners and you don’t know what to engrave on your medical bracelet, this website can help you.
Living with Von Willebrand’s Disease can be tough, especially if your child has it. For more information regarding how to cope with Von Willebrand's, visit this website.
If you’re unsure what blood disease you may have, the NIH explains them in more detail. Furthermore, Dana-Farber.org lists the types of blood disorders found in children.
Haemophilia is one of the common blood disorders in children. Learn more about the symptoms and how to manage it.
Blood diseases can range from affecting the red blood cells to the platelets. Make sure you know which is which.
Although Factor 7 Deficiency is a rare disorder, it is important to know how to manage it if you do have it. Read more information here.
Learn more about Hypocalcaemia.
For more support for Sickle Cell Disease, visit this charity.
Conclusion:
If you have a blood condition, wearing a medical alert bracelet can allow you to feel like yourself again. You can choose your own style, design and engraving and let others know how to help you in an emergency. Equally, friends and family members are reassured by the fact that they can keep in contact with you.
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