If your doctor asked how stressed you are on a scale of 1 to 10, would you be able to answer accurately? Based on statistics, stress is a major problem around the globe. In fact, for 77% of the population, stress starts to impair their physical health, while 73% experience an impact on their emotional health. With more than 33% of the population experiencing extreme stress, it’s safe to say we need adequate strategies to measure our stress levels.
Stressed Girl
So far, however, there have been two options for measuring it, either via a stress questionnaire or a blood test.  The blood test does provide accurate results; however, it is a lot more invasive than the less accurate method, which is the questionnaire. Luckily, there is another method that could be just around the corner. You’ve probably heard about it, and that is the wireless sweat sensor. But, can the wireless sweat sensor be an innovative way to detect stress levels, so you can help you manage your day more effectively? Let’s discuss what this latest innovative tech has in store for everyone.

How Does the Wireless Sweat Sensor Work?

The assistant professor at Caltech, Wei Gao, and his team have come up with a highly innovative sensor that could change the way we measure our stress levels forever – the wireless sweat sensor. Many people have asked can the wireless sweat sensor be an innovative way to detect stress levels, so you can help you manage your day more effectively. But, very few actually know what it’s made of. This device is designed to measure the cortisol with impeccable accuracy. This naturally reoccurring hormone affects our stress levels. Surprisingly, the product wasn’t as expensive as it was expected to be, but it still delivered amazing results. Wei Gao developed the device in a similar method to another sensor that is intended to measure the uric acid levels in the blood, but with a different construction. His sensor is constructed of carbon and graphene. A laser is used for engraving a 3D graphene structure onto a plastic sheet to form very small pores. These pores create a big enough area for the sensor to detect the compounds in human sweat. These compounds can then be examined. Basically, the sensor is designed to only detect the cortisol in the system, not any other compounds that are unrelated to this stress hormone. Therefore, anything that does happen with the levels of cortisol, the device can analyze and detect it.

What Can People Use It For?

To answer the question can the wireless sweat sensor be an innovative way to detect stress levels, so you can help you manage your day more effectively, you first need to know what to use it for. This device is not only meant to detect stress, but it’s also useful for monitoring serious conditions such as:  - Depression  - Post-traumatic stress disorder  - Anxiety In other words, anything that is connected to the fluctuations of the levels of cortisol in the system can be monitored via this device. According to Gao, since this is a noninvasive method to monitor stress, people can use it daily. Plus, other methods with the same uses take too much time, like blood tests, for example. The fastest way to get the results is in two hours, while with the sensor, it can take only a couple of minutes.

Final Thoughts

The wireless sweat sensor has potential. It can even detect the presence of more severe emotional issues. In the long run, this can help people lead a healthy life and help them manage their days effectively.

References

https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/mental-health/stress/related/stress-statistics/#gref https://www.news-medical.net/news/20200226/Novel-wireless-sweat-sensor-can-accurately-detect-stress-levels.aspx https://www.nature.com/articles/s41746-019-0150-9