There are few things worse for a parent than a sick child.
Forget the inconvenience of having to take off work or trying to get a doctor's appointment, having your child not feeling well brings anguish, anxiety and concern. Then comes the added trauma of trying to figure out what your child's fever or sick stomach means. Is it a simple stomach bug or the bubonic plague?
where it’s @
The Kinsa Smart Thermometer requires iPhone 4S or later; Samsung Galaxy Note 2 or later; Galaxy S3 or later or a Nexus 7 and the Kinsa Smart Thermometer and Health Tracker app, available at the App Store or Google Play. The product retails for $19. More information is available at kinsahealth.com.
OK, chances are it isn't the plague, but the imagination can run wild when our children are concerned. The best way to combat it is to keep track of the child's temperature and symptoms so the doctor knows exactly what is going on and can make an accurate diagnosis.
There are apps that allow you to keep track of temperature, but you have to input the information yourself based on your home thermometer. A company named Kinsa takes it a step further to be as accurate as possible. Let's face it, in situations like this, the more accurate, the better.
Kinsa produces the Smart Thermometer, a flexible digital thermometer that works by plugging it into a smartphone, and the accompanying app takes readings and tracks symptoms.
The Smart Thermometer is soft and flexible with a long top that allows more surface area for a more accurate reading. The other end has a jack that allows you to plug the thermometer into your smartphone.
The Smart Thermometer works great with compatible smartphones, but those smartphones are limited to the newer, top-name brands. It's compatible with iPhone 4S and later; the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, 3 and 4; the Samsung Galaxy S3 and later; the Nexus 6 and the LG G2 VS980, and the latter has only "unconfirmed compatibility." The phone must be running iOS 7 or later or Android 4.0 or later to function. That will cover most newer phones, as long as they're Apple or Samsung. Those who use phones from HTC, Motorola or other popular brands are out of luck.
Setup takes only a few minutes, but there is a trick to it. The first step is to download the free Kinsa Smart Thermometer and Health Tracker app from the App Store or Google Play. Once installed, you have to retrieve the setup adapter from the underside of the tray that holds the thermometer. It's vital to hang onto this piece, as it is required every time the app is set up. Lose the adapter, and you risk not being able to use the thermometer should you need to reinstall the app later.
The app talks you through setup. It basically requires plugging in the adapter and allowing the app to run through the setup, then plugging in the thermometer and allowing the app to complete its work. The whole process took less than five minutes.
The thermometer also comes with a cord with a 3.5 mm port on one end and a 3.5 mm plug on the other. This allows you to use the thermometer while holding it further away from the phone itself. It's good this is included, because it can be a bit awkward to hold up the iPhone while taking a temperature with the thermometer attached to the phone.
The thermometer works three ways: orally, under the arm or rectally. I tested it repeatedly using the first two methods. I'm going to guess the third is as accurate as the other two and leave it at that.
This product came along at the perfect time for testing, as I was a bit ill briefly last week. I used the thermometer to take my temperature and tracked it alongside a digital thermometer I know to be accurate. The day I was ill, it showed I was running a slightly higher temperature, 99.1 degrees, and then asked me what symptoms I had. The symptoms are listed by icon representations, so even a child could list symptoms by touching the corresponding picture.
The app keeps track of the time and date of the temperature reading, as well as the symptoms cataloged at the time. It even allows you to add notes for the doctor, so you can get specific on a child's symptoms.
One thing I like about the app is the bubbles. As the temperature reading is being done, bubbles float across the screen. The child can pop the bubbles by touching them. This gives the child a little distraction while waiting for the thermometer to finish.
Luckily, that doesn't take long at all. It takes about 10-12 seconds for an oral or under-arm reading, and the temperatures seemed accurate in both places.
The readings can be saved to a chart and shared as an image, which then can be sent as a text message or via email, or even transferred to a computer or posted on social media. I do wish it would actually chart the results and send that, or send the chart as a list instead of a screen shot.
The Kinsa thermometer was fast and easy to use, and the app made things even easier. By comparing it with my own digital thermometer, I found this thermometer to be accurate.
This would be a good tool to have as flu season approaches. It's a lot easier to see how an illness is progressing with a visual reference available. The better it's tracked, the easier it may be to diagnose and treat -- and hopefully, the child can heal faster. That's good not only for the child but also for the parent.
Melissa L. Jones can be reached via email at mljones72@me.com.
SundayMonday Business on 10/26/2015