Imagine if a cool tattoo or a pair of contact lenses could help save you from this all-too familiar scene:
You schedule a doctor's appointment for the morning, knowing full-well that means you'll have to take anywhere from 90 minutes to three hours off work depending on where your doctor's office is. Then you get in, and there's inevitably a wait to be seen. And, after you're seen, you'll probably have to wait around to have blood taken or, worse, make another appointment to come back.
People in a waiting room. Photo via iStock.
Now imagine you have a condition that requires you to have your health numbers — blood pressure, blood sugar, body mass index (BMI), and cholesterol — monitored by a doctor at least once a month. The situation just went from frustrating to ridiculous.
Thankfully, we live in an age of astonishing innovation that's making health monitoring a million times easier — meaning that maybe in the near future, you won't have to go through this routine quite as often.
There are a bunch of exciting new gadgets being developed right now that will allow us to take more control of our preventive health care. While they're not on the market yet, many of them should be in the not-too-distant future.
Here are five examples of cutting-edge technologies that aren't just cool, they could be time and potentially lifesaving.
1. This biosensor tattoo could tell you what's going on in your body.
The researchers behind DermalAbyss answer common questions about their proof-of-concept biosensor tattoos… https://t.co/Wi2iO0QxE5— MIT Media Lab (@MIT Media Lab) 1500140713
You know how mood rings change colors with your "mood" — i.e., they change color with the temperature of your body? Well, MIT is developing something kind of similar, but instead of a ring, it's a tattoo, and instead of your temperature, it can sense things like blood glucose and hydration levels.
The tattoo ink is called Dermal Abyss, and it reacts with the body's interstitial fluid (which is what surrounds your cells), changing colors in response to internal changes. There are three different color inks that monitor your body's glucose, pH, and sodium levels.
For example, if you're diabetic, instead of having to prick your finger an inordinate amount of times a day, you could just look down at your tattoo. Pretty cool, huh?
2. Wearing this sweat-monitoring wristband could tell you if you're drinking enough water and much more.
[rebelmouse-image 19530081 dam="1" original_size="450x324" caption="Photo by Wei Gao/UC Berkeley. Used with permission." expand=1]Photo by Wei Gao/UC Berkeley. Used with permission.
Sweat can reveal a lot more than just a hot day or a healthy workout. According to engineers at the University of Berkeley, it can assess various medical conditions as well. That's why they're developing a wristband designed to monitor the makeup of sweat.
It has sensors that discern the sodium, potassium, glucose, and lactate levels in a person's sweat. They connect to a circuit board on the band that calculates the data and sends it to a laptop or smartphone.
But it doesn't just keep track of important health numbers. It can also detect drug use, which would make athlete doping a lot harder to pull off.
3. These smart contact lenses might one day diagnose you using your tears.
Woman putting in a contact. Photo via iStock.
Soon, your contact lenses could do so much more than just help you see better. For the past several years, researchers at Oregon State University have been working on smart lenses to monitor blood glucose levels in the body.
In order to create the prototype, engineers actually used indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) — a material used to improve the quality of smartphone screens. They found that the sensors in the contacts were so fine-tuned they could even detect trace amounts of glucose in tears.
But that's not all these contacts could do.
Gregory Herman, co-author of the study says the sensors could be developed to monitor conditions like cancer, AIDS, glaucoma, and kidney or liver disease.
4. Meet Helius — a smart pill that can tell how well your other pills are working.
Photo via iStock.
We take pills to treat symptoms, but what if there were a pill that could monitor the effectiveness of pill-taking? That's exactly what Proteus Digital Health has been developing over the last several years. It's a smart pill that records how a patient is taking and responding to their pills. That way, if a treatment course isn't working, doctors will have a better idea as to why that might be.
Sorry, pill avoiders. This invention will unmask you (and keep you healthier).
The best part is your doctor can check in on your progress whenever they want, and if something doesn't look right, they can alert you right away.
5. If you wear this bra for an hour, it will tell you if your breasts are healthy.
[rebelmouse-image 19530084 dam="1" original_size="700x730" caption="Via Higia Technologies." expand=1]Via Higia Technologies.
Regular, at-home breast exams should be a part of every person's life, but sometimes early signs of cancer aren't easily felt or seen. That's why Julian Rios Cantu, an 18-year-old from Mexico, started developing a smart bra that can detect the more subtle signs of early stage breast cancer.
It's called the Eva Bra, and while it's only a prototype right now, it could revolutionize cancer prevention when it hits the market in January 2018. The bra comes equipped with bio sensors that detect subtle changes in skin temperature and tissue elasticity. All a person has to do is wear it once a week for 60 to 90 minutes, then the patch sensors send the data they collect to their phone or tablet.
This would be especially helpful for people who might've had breast cancer before and thus need to be more closely monitored for recurrences.
Of course, while all this exciting new technology could help you stay healthier, it's not a substitute for preventive screenings with your doctor.
Regardless of how advanced remote health monitoring gets, having your doctor assess your health numbers is a vital part of keeping yourself in tip top shape.
What it can do, however, is alert you to a change you might not otherwise have noticed so you can get yourself checked out before any serious damage is done.
Keeping tabs on your body is the best way to protect it. Innovations like these will make doing that so much easier.
Learn more about how to take control of your health at Cigna.com/TakeControl.
Our mouths loves chips. Our bodies not so much.Photo by 
You can eat well without giving up sweets completely.Photo by 
12 non-threatening leadership strategies for women
We mustn't hurt a man's feelings.
Men and the feels.
Note: This an excerpt is from Sarah Cooper's book, How to Be Successful Without Hurting Men's Feelings.
In this fast-paced business world, female leaders need to make sure they're not perceived as pushy, aggressive, or competent.
One way to do that is to alter your leadership style to account for the fragile male ego.
Should men accept powerful women and not feel threatened by them? Yes. Is that asking too much?
IS IT?
Sorry, I didn't mean to get aggressive there. Anyhoo, here are twelve non-threatening leadership strategies for women.
Encourage.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
When setting a deadline, ask your coworker what he thinks of doing something, instead of just asking him to get it done. This makes him feel less like you're telling him what to do and more like you care about his opinions.
Sharing ideas.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
When sharing your ideas, overconfidence is a killer. You don't want your male coworkers to think you're getting all uppity. Instead, downplay your ideas as just "thinking out loud," "throwing something out there," or sharing something "dumb," "random," or "crazy."
Email requests.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
Pepper your emails with exclamation marks and emojis so you don't come across as too clear or direct. Your lack of efficient communication will make you seem more approachable.
Idea sharing.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
If a male coworker steals your idea in a meeting, thank him for it. Give him kudos for how he explained your idea so clearly. And let's face it, no one might've ever heard it if he hadn't repeated it.
Sexism.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
When you hear a sexist comment, the awkward laugh is key. Practice your awkward laugh at home, with your friends and family, and in the mirror. Make sure you sound truly delighted even as your soul is dying inside.
Mansplain.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
Men love explaining things. But when he's explaining something and you already know that, it might be tempting to say, "I already know that." Instead, have him explain it to you over and over again. It will make him feel useful and will give you some time to think about how to avoid him in the future.
Mistakes.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
Pointing out a mistake is always risky so it's important to always apologize for noticing the mistake and then make sure that no one thinks you're too sure about it. People will appreciate your "hey what do I know?!" sensibilities.
Promotions.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
Asking your manager for a promotion could make you seem power- hungry, opportunistic, and transparent. Instead, ask a male coworker to vouch for you. Have your coworker tell your manager you'd be great for the role even though you don't really want it. This will make you more likely to actually get that promotion.
Rude.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
Sometimes not everyone is properly introduced at the start of a meeting. Don't take it personally even if it happens to you all the time, and certainly don't stop the meeting from moving forward to introduce yourself. Sending a quick note afterward is the best way to introduce yourself without seeming too self-important.
Interruptions.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
When you get interrupted, you might be tempted to just continue talking or even ask if you can finish what you were saying. This is treacherous territory. Instead, simply stop talking. The path of least resistance is silence.
Collaboration.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
When collaborating with a man, type using only one finger. Skill and speed are very off-putting.
Disagreements.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
When all else fails, wear a mustache so everyone sees you as more man-like. This will cancel out any need to change your leadership style. In fact, you may even get a quick promotion!
In conclusion...
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
Many women have discovered the secret power of non-threatening leadership. We call it a "secret power" because no one else actually knows about it. We keep our power hidden within ourselves so that it doesn't frighten and intimidate others. That's what makes us the true unsung heroes of the corporate world.
About the Author: Sarah Cooper
Sarah Cooper is a writer, comedian, and author of 100 Tricks to Appear Smart in Meetings. Her new book, How to Be Successful Without Hurting Men's Feelings, is out now.
The comedic book cover.
With permission from Sarah Cooper.
A satirical take on what it's like to be a woman in the workplace, Cooper draws from her experience as a former executive in the world of tech (she's a former Googler and Yahooer). You can get the book here.
This article was originally published on March 25, 2019.