Fashion accessories come and go, but a few can withstand the test of time. Silicone bracelets or wristbands are one of them. Reason: they play a significant role in healthcare.
Keeping Everyone Alert
Diabetes remains one of the top chronic diseases in the United States. It currently affects over 34 million, according to the CDC. Thousands more might be undiagnosed as early symptoms can be vague, mimicking those of other known conditions.
This illness is manageable with medications and lifestyle interventions, but diabetic patients can still struggle to keep the optimal sugar levels. Thus, when they go down, they can experience hypoglycemia, which can cause them to faint.
Hypoglycemia can be life-threatening and therefore a medical emergency. If glucose drops to dangerously low levels, the person can suffer from seizures, coma, or even death.
Because hypoglycemia can be sudden and lead to unconsciousness, patients need to rely on the public to get them medical help. Fortunately, the best silicone bracelet company can assist them in this area.
The accessory can function as a medical alert bracelet. It can come with a plate, which can be metal, containing the essential information about the patient. These are the illness, full name, or the number to call in case of emergency. They can also mention the drugs they can (or cannot) take and where to find more details (such as in the wallet).
Besides diabetes, medical alert bracelets are helpful for individuals dealing with dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s disease. Unlike diabetes, this remains a progressive disease. The medications can only delay the advanced stages.
At some point, people with Alzheimer’s will experience disorientation or a late-day confusion known as sundowning. Caregivers can lose them as the patients leave the properties and try to make sense of their surroundings.
Medical alert bracelets can make the public aware of not only their condition but also their full name, the best person to call, and where to return the patient.
The Popularity of the Livestrong Bracelets
When it comes to medical silicone bracelets, nothing might be more popular than Livestrong. These iconic yellow wristbands inspired health organizations such as Red Cross to follow suit.
The Livestrong bracelet was launched in 2004 by Nike in partnership with the Livestrong Foundation of Lance Armstrong, who was then the chairman of the board. One of the top cyclists in the world, Armstrong was diagnosed with advanced stages of testicular cancer. He also had abdominal cancer and needed to go through brain surgery to remove the lesions.
To raise cancer awareness and raise funds, Livestrong and Nike released the yellow wristbands, selling them for a dollar. As other celebrities wear them, the popularity of the accessory surged that eventually, they raised at least $100 million.
While this amount can be small to fund extensive cancer research, it can supplement researchers’ needs. Moreover, the foundation can use the money to support cancer survivors and their caregivers who are usually burdened by high medical expenses.
Soon, controversies overshadowed the meaning of the bracelets, and their ability to sell declined. However, the bracelets already inspired other organizations to adopt the same strategy.
Besides the Red Cross, nonprofits like the Pink Bracelet Fund created the pink bracelet in 2004. During this period, they sold over 90,000 bracelets and raised at least $215,000 for cancer research. The National Breast Cancer Foundation also had awareness bracelets available in different sizes and colors.
Why Silicone Bracelets Appeal to Healthcare
What makes silicone bracelets appealing to nonprofits and patients and the rest of the healthcare industry? There are plenty of reasons:
- Silicone bracelets or wristbands are affordable. One can buy them in bulk to save money.
- They are customizable. Although these can be expensive, they can be designed to suit the taste of the wearer. For example, today, one can find silicone bracelets with metal elements or engraving.
- They can be stylish and subtle. While patients need to wear medical bracelets, some avoid them because they don’t want to broadcast their illness. Beautifully designed ones can be more subtle. They can be big to contain patient information but fashionable enough to make the wearer feel comfortable having it.
- Silicone bracelets are easy to wear. It can be awkward to include a plate in a necklace, while rings are small to reveal much of the patient’s data. Both are also prone to entanglements than a bracelet.
Not all accessories can survive the ever-changing tastes of a wearer. But those that remain do so for essential reasons. For silicone bracelets, they contribute to healthcare, helping thousands of patients.
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