The Oura Ring is a smart ring that tracks various health metrics, such as sleep quality, activity level, and readiness score.
However, the Oura Ring does not track blood pressure.
This article will explain why blood pressure monitoring is important, how the Oura Ring works, and what are some alternative options for tracking blood pressure.
Understanding the Functionality of the Oura Ring
The Oura Ring is a sleek and lightweight wearable device that uses sensors to measure the physiological signals of your body. It syncs with the Oura app, which displays your data and provides personalized guidance based on your lifestyle and goals.
The Oura Ring focuses on three main aspects of your health: sleep, activity, and readiness.
- Sleep: The Oura Ring tracks your sleep stages (light, deep, and REM), resting heart rate, heart rate variability, respiratory rate, body temperature, and nighttime movement. It gives you a sleep score that reflects the quality and quantity of your sleep. It also offers tips on how to improve your sleep hygiene and habits.
- Activity: The Oura Ring tracks your daily steps, calories burned, workouts logged, and inactivity. It gives you an activity score that reflects how active you have been over the past week and how well you have met your daily goals. It also suggests optimal activity levels based on your readiness score and recovery status.
- Readiness: The Oura Ring tracks your readiness to perform and cope with stress by using factors such as your resting heart rate, heart rate variability, body temperature, previous night’s sleep, and recent activity. It gives you a readiness score that indicates how prepared you are to take on the day’s challenges. It also advises you on how to balance your activity and rest.
As you can see, the Oura Ring covers a wide range of health metrics that can help you optimize your well-being. However, one metric that it does not track is blood pressure.
The Importance of Blood Pressure Monitoring
As your heart pumps blood, blood pressure pushes on your arteries. It is measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) and divided into systolic and diastolic pressures.
Normal blood pressure is below 120/80 mmHg. Hypertension occurs when blood pressure stays over 130/80 mmHg. Hypotension is low blood pressure below 90/60 mmHg.
Monitoring blood pressure may indicate your overall health. Heart disease, stroke, renal disease, and other dangerous illnesses are linked to high blood pressure. Low blood pressure causes dizziness, fainting, dehydration, and shock.
Tracking your blood pressure frequently lets you see changes and control them. Diet, exercise, stress, and medicine all impact blood pressure.
Alternative Options for Blood Pressure Monitoring
Since the Oura Ring does not track blood pressure, you may want to consider other options for monitoring this vital sign. Here are some examples:
- Dedicated blood pressure monitors: Dedicated blood pressure monitors utilize cuffs on your upper arm or wrist to measure your blood pressure. They offer ease of use at home and deliver precise readings. Certain models can even store your data or sync with an app for effortless tracking and analysis.
- Smartwatches with blood pressure tracking features: Smartwatches with blood pressure tracking capabilities are wearable devices equipped with optical sensors that detect alterations in blood volume or flow on your wrist. They provide convenience and discretion, but their accuracy may not match that of dedicated monitors. The Samsung Galaxy Watch, Apple Watch, and Garmin Watch are a few examples of such smartwatches.
Conclusion
The Oura Ring is a smart ring that monitors sleep quality, activity level, and readiness score. Nevertheless, it does not track blood pressure, a crucial health indicator. To consistently monitor your blood pressure, alternative options like dedicated monitors or smartwatches with blood pressure tracking capabilities should be considered.
