Have you ever wanted to know how many steps you take everyday? Clip a pedometer on your belt loop! Following a low-carb regimen? Keep your fat metabolism in check with ketone test strips.

See All Home Test Kits including drug tests and cholesterol checks.

One of the neatest gadgets to come along are the body fat analyzers and body composition scales. You just hold them, or stand on them and they send a harmless beam through you to see how much fat you have going on. Some of them even calculate your water and muscle percentages too.

See All Body Fat Analyzers and All Scales

Outside of the wide selection of blood pressure monitors and thermometers to help keep you healthy we also have some really neat ways to monitor your heart rate during exercise (or whatever)… I wear one to make sure I’m staying within a good heart rate zone while I’m hiking or doing cardio. It helps tell me whether I’m working too hard, or not hard enough.

See All Heart Rate Monitors

How about an Eye Chart or a Color Blindness Test?

And if you’re wondering what else you can possibly monitor, see All Diagnostic Products. Happy shopping!

First things First:

Okay, so, the most important thing is that you dial 9-1-1 IMMEDIATELY  (no more than 5 minutes) if you have heart attack symptoms.  Time is critical, especially now that they have all these new medications and treatments that will stop some heart attacks and strokes. 

Most heart attacks don’t happen the way we see them on TV.   Granted, some are obvious and immediate, but most heart attacks start slow, with only mild discomfort.  That’s what makes them so tricky!  Hey, you know when something is just not right.  Don’t wait too long if have the following symptoms:

Heart Attack Warning Signs for Men (from the American Medical Assoc.)

• Chest Discomfort – Take heed if you are feeling uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back.
• Other Upper Body Discomfort – You may feel pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
• Shortness of Breath – This could happen with or without the chest discomfort or pain.
• Breaking out in a cold sweat, feeling lightheaded or nauseous

Heart Attack Warning Signs for Women

Cardiovascular disease is the Number 1 cause of death in women and it is the most preventable.  Women experience the same heart attack symptoms as men, most commonly chest pain or discomfort, but women are more likely than men to experience the other common symptoms, particularly shortness or breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain. 

Women, Respond to these Symptoms!

• Chest pain – may include back pain and/or deep aching and throbbing in one or both arms
• Breathlessness and/or inability to catch your breath when waking up
• Clammy sweating
• Dizziness — unexplained lightheadedness and possible blackouts
• Anxiety — unusual nervousness, feelings of impending doom
• Edema — fluid retention and swelling in the ankles or lower legs
• Fluttering, rapid heartbeats or palpitations
• Nausea or gas
• Feeling of heaviness, such as pressure-like pain between the breasts that may radiate to the left arm or shoulder 

What do I do if I Think I’m Having a Heart Attack?

Don’t second guess!  And don’t have someone drive you to the hospital if you can help it.  You’ll almost always get faster treatment if you call 9-1-1 and let the EMS crew take care of you.  You’ll also get faster treatment at the hospital if you arrive by ambulance.  Don’t ever drive yourself to the hospital unless you have absolutely no other option.

Difference Between a Heart Attack and Cardiac Arrest

A heart attack is caused by a circulation or blockage problem in the heart whereas cardiac arrest is caused by an electrical problem in the heart.  Sudden cardiac arrest is more frequent in people who have had heart attacks before because their hearts may be damaged and may pump poorly. Damage to the heart muscle can lead to disturbances of the electrical system and in turn can cause dangerously fast heart rhythms that can lead to sudden cardiac arrest. 

Signs of Sudden Cardiac Arrest:

• Cardiac arrest strikes immediately and without warning
• The victim is unresponsive (no response to tapping on shoulders)
• The victim is not breathing normally (no normal breath when you tilt the head up and check for at least five seconds)

What do I do of Someone is Having a Cardiac Arrest?

• Tell someone to call 9-1-1 and get an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) (if available)
• You begin CPR immediately (while someone else calls 9-1-1).  Read CPR Myths, Tips and Updates
• If you are alone with an adult who has these signs of cardiac arrest, call 9-1-1 and get an AED (if one is available) before you begin CPR
• Use an AED as soon as it arrives

Stroke Warning Signs (from the American Stroke Assoc.)

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• Sudden, severe headache with no known cause

Notice that the word *SUDDEN* appears in every case.  One of the “signs” is that these symptoms happen very quickly.  Like, you’re fine one second and not fine the next. 

What do I do if I Think I’m Having a Stroke?

If you or someone you’re with has one or more of these signs, immediately call 9-1-1 so an ambulance can be sent.  As with a heart attack, time is the biggest factor in your odds for recovery.  Check the time the symptoms first appeared so you can tell the EMS team.  There is a clot-busting drug called tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) that, if administered within three hours of the start of symptoms, can reduce long-term disability for the most common type of stroke.

Stop heart disease and strokes before they happen!  Read Staggering Heart Facts, 5 Ways to Celebrate American Heart Month and Are You At Risk for Heart Disease?.

Do you have something to share that might help someone?  Please reply below!

Strength, muscle and range of motion testing

Measure range of motion, posture, physical angles and curvature accurately with a goniometer or inclinometer from Allegro. To test strength, and for rehab evaluation see our manual muscle testers, hand squeeze dynamometers, pinch gauges and other muscle strength electronics from only the highest quality brands.

Diagnostic tools and measuring devices

Test and track your body fat anytime, in the privacy of your own home with a body fat analyzer. Or, track your fitness goals with a pedometer. You will always know your heart rate when exercising, and can track distance, pace and calories burned- better than any personal trainer.

Allegro has dozens of scales for home or office, including mechanical and digital bathroom-style, physicians’ scales, scales for weighing babies, and high capacity and wheelchair scales, all at the best prices anywhere.

Get fast and accurate measurement of edema for arms, legs, feet or hands with a volumeter.

Physicians, assess patients’ hearing and vibratory sensation with a set of tuning forks. Doctors (and Dr. Moms), detect ear infections or eardrum abnormalities with an otoscope.

Assessment tools

Test children of all ages for development and proficiency. Our motor proficiency tests use balance, coordination, strength, motor control, and more in fun, challenging, game-like tasks. Tests gross and fine motor development. Or, test dexterity, cognition, perception and manipulative ability for developing or injured patients with our assessment tests.
Assess functional performance of psychiatric, brain-injured, geriatric, or developmentally disabled patients with the BaFPE (Bay Area Functional Performance Evaluation) test.

Allegro has reference books for physicians, such as a Stedman’s Concise Medical Dictionary, Quick Reference to Occupational Therapy and more.

We have a wide array of timers and stopwatches for the countertop or the wrist. Time anything, anywhere, anytime…on time!

Allegro has eye charts for vision testing from a variety of distances, and for all ages and levels of patients. Test your eyesight and track your vision at home, anytime.

Looking for medical models? Life-size anatomical columns of the skeleton, including foot, leg, spine and shoulder are perfect for your office. Use our anatomical charts for teaching and informing patients or students the human muscular system, knee and more. Color charts show skeletal, ligament and muscle anatomy with anterior and posterior views.

Vital signs equipment

Allegro has everything you need to check vital signs. Check temperature in the ear, quickly and accurately, or the old-fashioned way, orally with our selection of thermometers and thermometer supplies. Medical pros, find your new stethoscope here, at a great price. While you’re at it, you may as well stock up on tongue depressors and pen lights for the office.

Watching your blood pressure? We have blood pressure monitors perfect for home or professional use, including fully automatic monitors with digital readout and memory of the previous reading, and manual or automatic inflate.

Check pulse during exercise or anytime with an oximeter. Heart rate is read with finger pulse or chest strap with wrist monitor for fitness testing. With the latest in oximeter technology you can record up to ten hours of information for later analysis, or download the information directly to your computer!

If you are watching or lowering your cholesterol, check it on a regular basis at home, quickly and easily with a cholesterol home test kit. It is even FDA approved!