Taking responsibility for your own health is a great goal to have.

And it’s easier now than ever before, thanks to the wide variety of health tracking devices and apps available.

So if you want to know how to monitor your health at home, read our guide. It will help you choose the products you need to keep on top of your health effortlessly.

Blood pressure monitor

Knowing your blood pressure no longer means a trip to see your nurse or doctor — you can do it at home in minutes with your own monitor.

To take an accurate reading:

1. Relax for a few minutes before you take your reading.

2. Make sure you are sitting correctly — your back should be supported, you should keep your legs uncrossed and your feet should be flat on the floor.

3. Roll up your sleeves and rest your arm on a table or other flat surface, positioning the bottom of the cuff directly above the bend in your elbow. Your arm should be at heart level.

4. After a few moments, your device will give you a reading. Refer to the instructions if you need to understand more.

You should take your blood pressure reading at the same time every day and make a note of your readings. This will help you track your health and provide information to your doctor if needed.

Infrared thermometer

Every household needs a thermometer in case of suspected fever — there are many illnesses that have a high temperature as one of their symptoms, for example, COVID-19, flu, gastroenteritis, and many viral and bacterial infections.

For quick and accurate reading, choose an infrared thermometer. All you need to do is point it at the patient, a few centimetres away from their forehead, and you’ll get a precise reading in just one second.

Know that a normal temperature is around 36°C to 37°C, while a temperature above 38°C is considered a fever.

Pulse oximeter

A pulse oximeter is a handy device that measures both your heart rate and blood oxygen levels, making it one of the most useful devices to track your health at home.

Just put the cap over your finger and the device will do the rest, giving you an accurate reading of how well your blood is oxygenated in a few seconds.

Pulse oximetry is used to track the status of people with long-term conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma and can also be useful if you have an acute illness like COVID-19.

COVID-19 at-home test

Coronavirus is here to stay, so it makes sense to keep at-home COVID-19 tests in your first aid kit. It’s important to know your COVID-19 status as the virus is very infectious and can cause serious complications in vulnerable people.

A rapid antigen (RAT) test can detect COVID-19 in just 15 minutes. You’ll need to collect a sample from inside your nose and then mix the swab into the liquid provided.

Then just release a few drops of the liquid solution onto the test and wait for the result to appear.

If you test positive, you should isolate at home. Let friends, family and colleagues know that you are positive too. If you have mild symptoms, you should be able to treat them at home by resting and using over-the-counter medication such as paracetamol.

Monitor your symptoms and seek medical help if you are worried about your health.

You can learn more about COVID-19 on the healthdirect website.

Wearable trackers and apps

These are just a few ways to monitor your health at home.

You’ll also find lots of options when it comes to wearable trackers, such as smart watches and their apps.

You can choose from the simplest watch that measures your steps, heart rate and sleep, to state-of-the-art devices that can also detect abnormal heart rate and stress and hydration levels.

Choose one that’s compatible with the type of phone you have and matches your lifestyle, whether you’re just starting out on getting healthy or are a dedicated athlete.

By your side on your journey to health and fitness

By investing in just a few simple pieces of kit, you can track your health easily at home — it means that you can know sooner rather than later about issues related to your health.

Having this data available can also help your doctor offer the right treatment and tests when you go to see them.

But remember that you shouldn’t use the information you get from trackers and devices as an alternative to going to the doctor — always seek help if you have concerns about your health.

You’ll find a range of products to track your health, as well as first aid kits, in our online collection. We’re your go-to place for equipment like your blood pressure monitor, thermometer, first aid kit and more — in fact, we’re right by your side on your journey to health and fitness!