As society becomes more conscious about health and fitness, new types of wearable devices such as smart rings and watches become an everyday essential for modern people. Each year, new diet tips and workout routines are introduced as the latest wellness trend.
This is why plenty of tech companies see this as a marketable opportunity and are doing their part to keep up with providing innovations that can supply the demands of fitness consumers. Wearable technology is now a common accessory for fitness enthusiasts and health buffs.
The Evolution of Healthcare Technology
The medical industry has evolved significantly in recent years. Its main objective is to extend and maintain the overall health and longevity of the human race but of course, this cannot be achieved without modern advancements in medical technology.
Today, medicine heavily relies on advanced devices that can aid medical practitioners and experts. Wearable gadgets like a smart ring are the latest additions to medical innovations that have changed the way we monitor people’s health and fitness.
Smart Rings Defined
One of the numerous benefits of wearing a smart ring is that it can provide accurate and real-time information about the status of a person’s health. With all the machines that are considered milestones and breakthroughs in the medical field, a smart ring is another promising piece of technology that can change the course of remote patient monitoring (RPM).
Smart rings not only provide information that can help users improve their diet and workout, but they also supply crucial information that doctors need from patients who are suffering from different kinds of diseases. This is definitely a great way for doctors to address specific complications early on before they can cause harmful consequences to the patient.
Wearing a smart ring can also allow its users to easily access their phones, some smart rings can even give you notifications from messaging and social media apps. Though many would argue that using your smartphone is convenient enough, smart rings grant easy digital access without the need to constantly hold a mobile device. Smart rings can be partnered via Bluetooth to most mobile devices. The most commonly used materials for smart rings are steel, ceramic, and titanium.
How Can Smart Rings Be Beneficial to You?
Like aforementioned, smart rings can provide efficiency in both lifestyle and health aspects. This is due to the brilliant technological concept behind each ring which typically involves near-field communication chips (NFC), Bluetooth, sensors, and batteries.
Like any other medical technology, the design process involves long-term research and countless hours of development to ensure the best possible results for its users. Since rings do not generally fit everyone’s fingers, companies also have to address how to size their devices accurately for each user.
Most companies do this by providing their customers with sizing kits that can help them determine the appropriate size before purchasing. Unlike smartphones and watches, smart rings do not need constant charging. They can last for a few days without users worrying about draining the batteries which is why they’re perfect for those who are constantly being busy and are always on the go.
The Health Benefits of Smart Rings
Though smart rings provide many convenient lifestyle advantages, most people purchase them just for their health and fitness benefits. Various smart rings can track different health aspects from your sleeping patterns to your heartbeat. In this part of the article, we’re going to give a general list of the health information that smart rings can typically provide their users.
Monitors Your Stress Level
Living in the modern world can cause some serious effects on people’s mental health. Sometimes stress can even lead to anxiety which is why it’s always necessary to maintain a clear state of mind. Stress can influence many physiological processes in the body which is often the result of our autonomic nervous system.
This affects our electrodermal activity or EDA which is what smart rings use to track stress levels. A smart ring capable of this function transmits this information to an app installed on your smartphone so you can check and regulate your stress levels in real-time.
Monitors Your Sleeping Patterns
Many people today suffer from a lack of sleep due to disorders or insomnia. Sleeping problems can cause detrimental effects to people’s mental health and everyday routine. Wearing a smart ring, however, can help you monitor your sleeping patterns to help you keep track of your daily rest.
Some smart rings provide you with crucial information such as the number of sleeping hours for deep, light, or REM state to help you create a better sleep log. Some can also provide information about sleep apnea events along with measuring pulse oximetry and your heart rate.
Monitors Your Blood Oxygen
Maintaining a stable blood oxygen level is necessary for keeping regular bodily functions. Hypoxemia is a condition where blood oxygen levels dip below the normal rate. It may be caused by poor circulation somewhere in the body and may result in various symptoms such as headaches or shortness of breath. In severe cases, hypoxemia can cause interference with brain and heart functions.
Fortunately, some smart rings can provide data about your blood oxygen levels. This can help you detect early signs of hypoxemia to avoid further harmful complications. These types of smart rings can keep track of your body movements, heart rate, and especially, your oxygen saturation.
Monitors Your Heart Rate
For people who are suffering from cardiovascular diseases, wearing a smart ring is an ideal choice to monitor the condition of your heart. This allows people and doctors to catch any irregularities and avoid further harmful complications.
Some smart rings have an accelerometer and a heart rate monitor which can transmit the necessary data to the app installed in your smartphone. Other smart rings also utilize a function that can send PPG signals to spot atrial fibrillation or similar symptoms.