Finding Medical Alert Bracelets

When you have a chronic condition and may need urgent medical help, it can be a good idea to wear a medical alert bracelet (or necklace).

I always worried about my kids when they were little. I worried that something might happen when I wasn't around. Would the teacher/coach/neighbor/ etc know what was wrong with my son or daughter?

Don't get me wrong - I always met with their teachers, coaches, etc and let them know that my kids have asthma and had been hospitalized several times. I made sure they had a copy of my child's Asthma Action Plan and my cell phone number.

And I always kept them home if they weren't feeling well. That meant keeping a very close eye on them. But I can't follow them around and be there with them all the time (I am sure they were happy to be with their friends without their mom lurking nearby!) They had to go to school, soccer practice, scouts, friends houses, etc.

Asthma can flare up at any time, even if they aren't sick. It helps me not to worry as much when my kids would wear a medical alert bracelet.

Medical alert bracelets are useful to a lot of people

There are a lot of people that could benefit from wearing a medical alert bracelet. People with epilepsy, diabetes, food allergies, pacemakers, etc. If they need help all of a sudden, or they pass out and can't tell someone what is wrong with them, a medical alert bracelet can help.

There are a lot of options when it comes to bracelets. You can do a simple search for "medical alert asthma bracelets" and see silicone bands, sport strap bracelets, paracord bracelets, metal bangles, etc. You can find styles for kids as well as adults.

When my kids were little, we bought the basic medical alert bracelets you can find at the pharmacy. They were inexpensive, which was good - because my kids lost or broke several of them over the years. Some are basic and just say "asthma" on them.

Others are big enough that you can engrave several things on the band. One website showed:

• Name
• Asthma
• Inhaler in purse
• ICE phone number (ICE stands for In Case of Emergency - whoever you need them to call if something happens to you. You put ICE and then their phone number.)

Different kinds of medical alert bracelets

Some people may prefer necklaces. When I searched for medical alert necklaces, a lot of options showed up. If you want to do a quick search, it helps if you click on tab under the search bar that says "images". You will see silver necklaces with pendants, 'dog tag' style necklaces, etc. Decide what's right for you.

And for those of you that want a little something more permanent? Tattoos.

Yep, there are examples of those online too. I saw several photos of tattoos for asthma that said, "It ain't easy being wheezy" with a picture of an inhaler.

What's right for you?

You may not want to wear a medical alert bracelet or necklace or want to get a tattoo. That's the best part of asthma - there's no one-size-fits-all approach. You do what's best for you. And if you want a bracelet, necklace, or tattoo, now you know what's available.