How useful really is wearing a piece of medical alert jewellery and what kind of a difference does it make in an emergency situation?

Medical personnel are trained to check a patient at the time of first response to see if they're wearing any form of identification and this includes any form of medical ID. Your medical ID is the voice you won't have if you are confused or unresponsive so that it's immediately clear what medical conditions or allergies you may have, the medication you are taking and any emergency contact (ICE) information.

Not wearing a medical ID can cause:

- Misdiagnosis of symptoms

- Allergic reactions if you are exposed to the wrong medication or treatments

- Side effects from medications that contradict your current health conditions 

- Unnecessary hospital admissions

- Misunderstanding from either medical personnel or law enforcement due to unknown mental health conditions

Being exposed to medication and treatments that you are allergic to, react with medications you already take or can be harmful. 

If you have been diagnosed with a new condition or allergy it's also important to ensure your medical ID is updated.

Choose a medical bracelet that you find comfortable and also that ensures it has enough space for you to list everything you need on it. Our helpful guide can give you a good overview of what to include.