Allergy Bracelets vs. Emergency Cards

What should you or your child have for their food allergies? Both serve a different purpose and are both important to have.

Medical ID Bracelets

The purpose of medical alert bracelets is to list your specific allergies on either an allergy bracelet, or allergy necklace. This is extremely important for letting paramedics and other first responders that they are potentially dealing with an allergic reaction.

Emergency Cards

The purpose of an emergency card is more general and works well in tandem with a medicalert bracelet. It can tell someone that you need medical help when you are unable to do so yourself. The card does not get into specifics of what is wrong, rather to ask for professional medical help. It's ideal if a bystander or other lay person is with you when a reaction, or medical emergency happens. 

Why should I have an Emergency Card?

A medical ID is great for telling a first responder what medical condition you have. But there are a lot of steps before a medical responder is on the scene. An emergency card alerts others that you're experiencing anapylaxis, a severe allergic reaction, or another medical emergency. It empowers them to call 911 and get help.

Emergency Cards for Travel

If you are travelling, an emergency card is quite valuable as you can get them in different languages. Equal Eats offers medical emergency cards in 50 languages. While medical bracelets are typically only in English, a translated card can help communicate an emergency in a foreign country.

Bottom Line 

It's important to have both a medical ID to show your exact medical condition, and an emergency card to ask for help when you're unable to do so yourself.