As I reflect on some of my best moments of 2008, the Olympics certainly feature in the top three. Usain aside, how interesting it was to see some runners use technology to help them run the race - athletes used the big screens in the Bird's Nest to see how near their competitors were to them. They used the screens to see how fast they were running and to tell them whether they needed to go faster.

And just like that, we can use modern technology this year to help us to monitor some vital aspects of our health. There are various devices available in our pharmacies which we can use to our advantage to give us some indication about how well we are doing with our health. Outside of the thermometer and bathroom scale which many people have at home, most monitoring devices are beneficial to those who are at risk of certain conditions or diseases, and to those who already have these conditions or diseases. Testing at home is only beneficial to us if we do something positive to address abnormal readings.

Breast self-examination kits

The breast self- examination (BSE) kits can help us, especially if we are not sure about what we are searching for. It improves our sense of touch when examining the breasts, to detect changes in breast tissue. Although most detected lumps are harmless, any abnormality detected should be reported to a doctor. The BSE kit is not a substitute for mammograms.

The blood pressure machine

Every home of a person with high blood pressure should have a blood pressure machine (sphigmo-manometer). If you know when your blood pressure is out of whack there are many things you can do about it to prolong life. If you are unsure of what the readings mean, you may write down each reading and take the record with you to your usual doctor's visit. It is also a good idea to take your machine with you to the doctor to see whether yours and the doctor's, give the same reading.

Peak flow metre

This is an easy-to-use device which helps us to measure how well our lungs are working. It is particularly useful to persons with asthma. The reading we get from the metre can help us to recognise an asthma attack before signs appear, determine the severity of an asthma attack, whether to use more medication, or when to seek emergency care.

Blood sugar and cholesterol testing kits

The reading of our blood sugar (glucose) and cholesterol levels are right at our fingertips. With a prick of the finger, one single drop of blood can tell us these levels within seconds. Some machines actually 'tell' us the reading, since they 'talk', a helpful feature for those of us who are blind or unable to read. If you are enrolled with the National Health Fund as a person with diabetes, the relatively expensive blood sugar testing kits are provided free of cost via your pharmacy.

Fat-loss monitor

This hand-held device gives us a sneak preview of our progress in losing body fat. It provides us with readings of our body mass index or BMI and body fat, weight and percentage.

DNA and HIV testing kits

At-home DNA and HIV testing kits are not available in Jamaica but in other countries. For the DNA test, the kit is purchased from a company, and a saliva sample is taken at home and sent back to the company which sends the result to the client within two weeks. Please see http://www.dnasolutions.co.uk.

Not a substitute

Using these devices at home is not a substitute for keeping regular doctors' visits and is meant to give us an idea of how much under control our existing conditions are. Your medical doctor should be contacted if you receive successive readings which are out of the normal range. Pharmacists also provide the service of testing clients for pregnancy, blood sugar and cholesterol.

Let us monitor and take control of our own health in 2009!

Dahlia McDaniel is a pharmacist and final year doctoral candidate in public health at the University of London; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.