5 Medical Toys For The Home

Biofeedback for fun or function.

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional! I know nothing. If you are having a health problem consult a physician or professional. This is not medical advice or even an attempt at medical advice. I assume all of these items come with their own warnings and instructions, read those. I am but a caveman.

Photo by Diana Polekhina on Unsplash

As a person horrified by the healthcare industry, and certain that all things “doctor” are regulated and priced beyond measure, I really thought you’d need a license, permit, class, or SOMEthing to purchase these medical instruments. Not true. Easy to get as a gun in Arizona. In fact, you can pick most of them up at the pharmacy. Here are five fun and functional medical devices that you can just like, get. Let’s play doctor!

Oximeter

Check your pulse. Oximeters hug the tip of your finger to let you know if you are oxygenating correctly. Oxygenation means the “addition of oxygen”, and in the case of a home oximeter, it is measuring the percentage of oxygen in your blood. You need a pretty high percentage of oxygen in your blood to function. 98% and above is great, if you’re below 90% that is BAD. No passing grades here, you really want that A. My favorite part about an Oximeter is the heart rate function. I like to take deep breaths to watch my heart rate slow down or think about the state of healthcare in the U.S. to ramp it up. Biofeedback is fun! Here’s a list of the 7 Best Pulse Oximeters according to Healthline.

Blood Pressure Cuff

Check your blood pressure. You’ve likely experienced this bicep squeeze many times. To do it at home you just have to know that the sensor should line up with your brachial artery and make sure to uncross your legs. Crossing your legs raises your blood pressure. The opposite raises a nun’s. This one is so easy it’s almost boring. But cuff sounds naughty so, right back to interesting. Manual or automatic versions are available. New York Times put out a list of the best from $45-$75.

Dental tools

Check your teeth. Was Steve Martin your favorite character in “Little Shop of Horrors”? Then you will love breaking this kit out at parties. These sharp objects make me nervous. They just seem too pokey for my untrained…