Review–Mio Alpha Strapless Heart Rate Monitor

So, I am getting this review out late enough that there is now a Mio Alpha 2, as well as a Mio Fuse, which are all more recent that what I am currently using.  However, I am going to review my Mk 1 Mio Alpha anyway.  Obviously, I cannot say how well it translates to the more recent versions, but take from it what you will.

I have been using the Mio Alpha for more than a year now.  For those that have not read my primer on heart rate monitor watch, the Mio Alpha uses an optical sensor to measure and track heart rate.  This is the same technology that is used in the pulse oximeter, aka, the little pincher contraption that nurses put on your finger to make sure you have enough oxygen in your blood. In addition to your blood oxygenation, however, it can also indicate your heart rate.

The Mio Alpha will not track your oxygen level, however. It is strictly heart rate.  It can track your heart rate in two modes.  First, a “passive” tracking where it displays your heart rate but notifications are off.  The second, “active” mode, you can set a high and low boundary for your “target zone”  and it will alert you if you go above or below these limits.

I find I more often just leave it in passive monitoring, mostly because the beeping when out of zone can get pretty annoying.  I have been at this long enough to recognize the feeling of when I need to check what my HR is doing.  You can also press a button to toggle between the time, heart rate, and a stopwatch if you prefer not to leave your HR visible for all to see.

In terms of HR accuracy, I have found that the Mio Alpha is usually accurate . . . eventually.  But sometimes it takes a while to get there.  Too much wrist motion seems to throw it off; not so much the swinging of the arms motion (like jogging) but more the wrist motion of folding clothes, typing, washing dishes, etc.  It is usually temporary, and rights itself once I stop, but it is pretty common.  I have caught some heart rates on it that I can physically count and know that the watch is off; I usually attribute these to too much wrist motion.

Also, unlike chest strap based HR watches, it is unlikely to catch the rapid spikes in Heart Rate (HR).   I know I can get rapid and dramatic rises in HR when I change positions, move my arms around too much, or sometimes even breathe deeply.  They generally don’t last long (generally under 30 seconds, many times under 10).  These, however, have proven to be beyond what the watch can catch.  If you are trying to catch every little (or big) up and down of your HR, the Mio Alpha is not going to do for you.  The watch takes several seconds to adjust to ups and downs in HR, and sometimes the spike is over before it can adjust.

Cold seems to affect the performance as well, though this is likely more me than the watch.  I know many people with dysautonomia also have Reynauds, or at the very least have some extreme blood vessel constriction/dilation in the hands.  But when outside in the snow, it did have more trouble keeping track of my HR.

Finally, I noticed one last issue with the watch, and it would probably not be a problem for most people.  However, I have the flavor of dysautonomia that results in wild swings in blood pressure, both systolic and diastolic.  This can result in pretty crazy pulse pressures, ranging from 60+ to 11.  While, in my experience, these odd pulse pressures are pretty transient, they really screw with the watch.  Not really surprising, considering how the watch works.  Typically, I find when my pulse pressure is low (indicated by a weakly detectable pulse) the watch thinks I have a really low heart rate (like 40-50’s) when I can clearly feel that it is higher than that.  While I know that the HR is inaccurate at times like this, it is helpful in that it indicates (albeit indirectly) that my blood pressure is struggling to maintain balance, and it might be time to find a seat.

Now that I have expounded of the flaws of the watch.  Let me tell you what i like.  I LOVE not having to wear a chest strap. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE.  I can wear the watch all day.  It can still go all day on one charge, even on active monitoring, after a year of use.  No annoying rashes from chest straps, or having to take the chest strap on and off as needed (since it kept giving me a rash with all day use).  When it comes down to it, it is just plain easier for me to use.  The trade-off is that I know it misses some HR spikes and drops.  In the beginning, I wanted to know what my HR was doing each and every beat.  However, 4 years later, that is not so important to me anymore.  I mainly need to know if my HR is going high or low, and if it is staying there.  I now know that a 10 second spike up to 160 bpm is not really going to cause a problem.  However, if I spend a couple of minutes up in the 160 range, I know I am at risk of syncope or pre-syncope.  Thus, having the watch alert me to prolonged high HR is my early warning, so to speak.  Secondly, it offers a certain piece of mind, especially when out and about.  If I feel that familiar wave of light-headedness, I can check the watch and see the my HR is not in a danger zone, yet, and I just need to stop for a moment and recover.  Could it be a bit of a crutch for me, . . . probably.  But I figure if it helps me out the door, there are worse bad habits to have.

I am not going to lie, the Mio Alpha is not the prettiest watch around–though most HR watches tend not to be.  Even with the new purple color, it is still a pretty masculine looking watch.  Just comes with the territory, unfortunately.  Not exactly dainty, either.  It also lacks a backlight for checking the watch in low-light situations, a pretty annoying feature actually.  But I believe the Mio Alpha 2 has remedied that problem, as well as added step tracking, calories, etc. that many of the activity trackers on the market now have.

It also has the ability to sync up to your smart phone to track heart rate via bluetooth+.  I do not have a phone capable of doing this, so I am not able to keep and record my HR patterns.  To me, this was not a big deal as I was mainly only interested in real-time heart rates.  However, if this is important to you, make sure you have a compatible device.

Finally, the customer service I received from Mio was pretty good as well.  The charger for first watch I  bought had an issue and frequently refused to actually charge the watch.  After contacting them, they asked me to send the charger and watch back, after which they would send out a new one.  I had to pay return shipping (which was annoying) but nothing for the new watch.  Later, just before the one year anniversary of me getting the watch, I had a side button break.  Once again, Mio completely replaced the watch with the only requirement that I send back the defective one (at my expense).  Do I think they should have paid the return shipping . . . yes.  But in this day and age, customer service has become a rare commodity, so I will take it.

One final note.  As far as I know, the Mio Alpha can only be charged via a computer USB port.  I am on the computer all the time, so it is very easy to plug it in and charge.  However, if you rarely use or don’t have a computer, this could present a challenge.

Mio Alpha $149, available at Mioglobal.com and various other retailers

 

Invisible Illness & Invisible Disability Signs

For those who follow my blog, Pinterest, or Facebook page, you have probably already seen these.  When I first had the idea to create some home-printable business cards for awareness, I wanted something that got the point across that even though I look fine, I have a disability.  The wheelchair, of course, is pretty much the universal sign of disability.  The problem is, I do not often have to use a wheelchair.

On my worst days, yes, I may need a wheelchair.  Other days, I may use my rolling cart with a seat.  Still others, I may be perfectly fine just walking by myself.  Dysautonomia is like a box of chocolates, you just never know what you are going to get–it can vary from day to day, hour to hour.

However, that reality does not fit well in to  society’s perception of disability.  You either are or are not disabled; no one believes it can be a transient state.  Yet for millions of those with chronic illnesses, it CAN be a transient state, or at least a varying one.  People don’t understand why one day you can be at Nordstroms shopping like a normal person, and the next day at Walgreens in a wheelchair.  And without one of the universal signals that conveys a reason for needing assistance (e.g. grey hair or an appendage in bandages) one is likely to get strange stares at best, and nasty comments at worst.

At one point, I was actually considering buying a walking cast to wear when I felt I needed to use a wheelchair or mobility cart at the store.  If I was wearing one of those (despite the fact I did not actually NEED it) I was unlikely to be bothered or questioned.  I never did buy the walking cast, mostly due to the expense, but also because I felt I should be strong enough to defend myself and my invisible disability.  Yet I found myself just avoiding leaving the house all together; the thought of possibly having to deal with mean, ignorant people while also feeling like crud was just too much.

Thus, began my search for an image that conveyed that though I look “normal,” I have “unseen” issues that affect my abilities.  I did not want something sarcastic or confrontational, even though I could definitely identify with those sentiments.  And I did not want to go into too much detail about my particular condition.  I wanted something professional, quickly identifiable, and universal.  Because, sometimes, I just don’t feel like explaining my entire medical history since no one has ever heard of what I have.

Best I can tell, there does not seem to be any universal symbol of invisible illness or invisible disability.  There are some for individual situations–such as hearing impaired or blind–but nothing for a general “my body just does not work right.”  I really like this one:

But A) the image was intricate enough it did not work well as a small image on a business card and B) it still used the wheelchair, something that not everyone with invisible illness and disability uses.  Thus, I made my own.  Working with symbols that already had widely known meanings, I decided to put the Rod of Asclepius (not to be confused with the Caduceus) into the widely used signs for Man and Woman.  I probably could have just used the Man symbol, as it seems to be the default, but as a woman with an illness that most often affects women, I just kind of liked the idea of a gender specific one.

I spent a lot of time trying to decided whether to use the Rod of Asclepius or something else.  I even focus grouped it on a couple of my chat groups.  While not all invisible disabilities are thought of as “medical” in the same sense that most invisible illnesses are, it seemed to me that a lot of them were at least biological in nature.  Thus, I felt that Rod of Asclepius was the most representative symbol that was widely recognizable.

So, a little paint action later, I had my symbol.  I made one for both Invisible Illness and Invisible Disability, as I know some with chronic illnesses have issues with the “D” word (I know it took me a long time to embrace it).  I made generic ones, both man and woman.

And later made versions that also include mentions of specific conditions so I could continue to raise awareness for both my condition and invisible disabilities/illnesses in general.

I keep the ones I have made on my Pinterest page, and have posted a few of them here.  While I don’t ever expect them to receive wide-ranging recognition, anyone who wants to is free to use them in hopes of conveying their situation to others.  They are available free of charge for personal, non-commercial use.  Any other uses, please contact me first.

Also, if you are interested in a sign with a disease or condition not already available on my Pinterest page, please feel free to message me or comment below, I would be happy to make it for you.

STUFF Post–Medical ID Bracelets

I frequently see individuals with Dysautonomia, and chronic illnesses in general, asking if they should be wearing a medical id bracelet.  While it is an individual choice–between you and your doctor–I personally chose to wear one.  In case it hits the fan, I want the medical team working on me to A) know some basic information about what I have and B)  know how to contact my regular Doctors since it seems pretty much nobody knows about Dysautonomia.

So, here is the first in what I am calling my STUFF postings.  Listings and links to stuff I have seen mentioned, recommended, etc. in relation to dysautonomia.  Just because I link it, does not mean that I have tried it or endorse it–I only review things I own or have tried (see the reviews section).  This is mainly to serve as a collection of possibilities and nothing more.  If you know of something you think should be on this list, please feel free to add it in the comments.

Special note about medical id bracelets:  recently I had the chance to speak with a couple local EMT’s and firefighters.  I asked about regular medical Id’s vs. more interactive ones (web-linked, phone-in, etc.).  While this is opinion of just a few, they mentioned the traditional ones are more useful for them in the field (unlikely to scan or call in from the ‘bus’) but that the medical team once you get to the hospital may find the interactive ones most useful since they contain much more information.  They also mention that as medical alert jewelry looks more jewelry like, they are also more likely to mistake it for jewelry and not notice it.  Their advice–we know they are ugly, but the more obvious that it is a medical id bracelet, the better. 

 

Traditional Medical Id Bracelets/Jewelry

• Vital ID  (see review)

Uses small folding paper insert instead of engraving for medical information

https://www.vitalid.com/product-category/medical-id/

• Sticky Jewelry

Large selection of pre-printed and engravable medical jewelry including bracelets, necklaces, and charms

https://www.stickyj.com/medical-alert-jewelry

• Lauren’s Hope

Possibly one of the largest selections of medical jewelry on the internet.  Mostly engraveable.

http://www.laurenshope.com/

• American Medical ID

Engravable bracelets and necklaces

http://www.americanmedical-id.com/

• Road id

“sporty” engravable bracelets and shoe id’s

https://www.roadid.com/Common/Catalog.aspx?C=RoadID

• Creative Medical Id

Engravable bracelets, dog tags, charms and watches

http://creativemedicalid.com/

• SOS Id via Keep Safe Jewelry

Insert that folds into compartment on stainless steel bracelet

http://www.keepsafejewelry.com/sosid.htm

• ID on Me

Insert that fits into compartment on bracelets, key rings, or tags

http://www.idonme.com/index.php

•  N-Sytle ID

Engravable bracelets, necklaces, dog tags & charms.  Has a free template for a printable wallet card

http://www.n-styleid.com/

• Mediband

Specializes in silicone medical ids. Many pre-printed, but also have the ability to make a customized one.  Has multiple language and engravable jewelry as well.  Can add a separate MedibandPlus membership (see below)

 http://www.mediband.com/us/

•  Hope Paige

Mostly engravable medical id jewelry, including the ability to design your own.  Has a few silicone/write on bracelets as well as the 4id line that includes some unique write on medcial ids.  Has a few pretty neat accessories as well as a large selection gears towards kids

https://www.hopepaige.com/

 

 

 

 

Interactive Medical Id Bracelets/Jewelry

• My ID Square (see review)

Uses individual QR code and/or website with pin # to link to medical information website.  Includes lifetime membership with Squid purchase (no yearly fee).  Also carries traditional medical tags and “clip on” medical charms.

http://www.myidsquare.com/

• Medic Alert Foundation

Bracelets and necklaces have 1-800 number that connects to 24/7 operator center with your medical information.  Purchase includes one year of telephone service, renewable for a yearly fee after that.

http://www.medicalert.org/

• My ID by Endevr

Uses either a QR code, phone number, or website with pin # to access medical information.  Purchase includes one year of service, renewable for a yearly fee after that

http://www.endevr.com/id-bracelets/myid

•  MedibandPlus

Subscription gives you a code to access your medical conditions, allergies, medications, blood type and immunization records at MedibandPlus website. Also has contact info for physician(s) and emergency family and friends.  Yearly fee starting at $7 for personal or $35 for family.  Note: Australian company, so phone customer service is on Australian time.

http://www.medibandplus.com/

 

 

Note: I have not included any medical id jewelry that uses a USB to store medical information.  I have been informed by several sources that many medical facilities now refuse to insert foreign USBs into their computer systems over fear that they may contain viruses or identity theft malware. 

 

Did I miss one?  Please add it in the comments below.

 

 

Dysautonomia Educational Business Cards

Ok, so I have been super MIA for the past year.  Ended up trying to go back to work, but that did not go well.  I am now back to not working while trying to get my symptoms and my life back in order.  However, the extra recliner time has given me a chance to get back to my blog and back to some other projects I have wanted to start.

One of those projects I have been working on is a business card that I can hand out at times when people are curious (or, let’s face it, sometimes downright mean) about my limitations.  People have a hard time imagining that someone under 30 could have an illness that leaves them with significant limitations, but still look perfectly normal.  It is the bane of the Invisible Illness crowd—“but you don’t look sick”.  Chronic Illness Memes abound about how hurtful, dismissive, and downright rude that saying can be.

 

(Sorry for the blurry pics)

Yet, I hear a story at least once a week–via the news or in my chat/Facebook groups–about another person with invisible illness or invisible disabilities being accosted for parking in a handicap spot (with a legal placard), using wheelchair or mobility carts at stores, etc.  It is a tough spot many of us will find ourselves in a one point or another.  While I am lucky that all of my inquirers so far have been kind and curious, I have caught the judgmental stares on the faces of others.  I know it is likely a matter of time before someone confronts me in a not so friendly manner.

When I imagine this likely confrontation, I can envision two scenarios of how I would react.  In the first, I start crying on the spot, or hurriedly try to make it back to the car before crying.  In the second, I get really mad and starting yelling.  Neither of these reactions are likely to result in positive outcomes, either for the ignorant commenter or my heart rate and blood pressure.

Now, when the inevitable questions come, I hope to just reach into my purse and pull out one of my business cards to give them.  If they are mean, I can hand it to them and walk away—biting my tongue if I have to.  If they are friendly, I can stay and inform them about Dysautonomia/Invisible Illness, yet still leave them with something they can take home and follow up on.    A lot of my life now comprises being prepared for when things go wrong (I keep a Dysautonomia “kit” in my purse at all times) so this is just one more thing I want to be prepared for.

So, below are my homemade business cards.  They are in a pdf for anybody who wants to download them and print them for their own personal, non-commercial use.  I also have them in a Microsoft Word template if you want to customize them to your own particular situation—contact me if interested.

I also have a collection of both Invisible Illness and Invisible Disability signs posted on my Pinterest page.  Will probably end up printing up one of the Dysautonomia Signs as a sticker to put on my wheelchair (also and Avery print at home kit for that as well!) Once again, feel free to use for personal, non-commercial use.

med cards front 2

med cards back 2

 

How to Print at Home Instructions:

These cards are formatted for the Avery Business Card Template 8371.  The kit I used is the Avery White Business Cards 100 count for Ink Jet (28371), approximately $4 at my local Walmart.  I printed them using my personal inkjet printer (aka, these are not professionally printed)

The template comes in a front and back form.  Remove all other paper from your printer and run though once printing the front of the cards template, then flip over and print using the back of the cards template.

This allows me to print 10 business cards at a time.  I prefer this flexibility in case I want to change information on the card at a later date.  It also means I can print a small quantity without needing to engage the services of a professional printer.

Note: The back of the card has a QR code that is linked to the information page of the Dysautonomia International website.  Most smartphones already have or are able to download a QR scanner for free in their respective app stores.  However, those of us still working with “dumb” phones (raises hand) may not have access to it that way and would need to go home and get on the computer.