There are lots of health-related issues that require daily monitoring. From the intensity of managing chronic illnesses to simply trying to keep track of eating habits, our magical phones can help us manage the challenges.
We’re all aware of out-of-the-box basics like the iOS Health app (which, incidentally, didn’t have a period tracker until 2015 #doh), but what do you do when you have more specific health concerns that require more precise data keeping? Well, chances are, there’s an app for that.
Consider asthma: The breathing problem affects more than 25 million people in the U.S. alone. It’s one of many conditions often are referred to as an invisible illness — something serious that impacts a person’s daily life but is not apparent visually. Mark my words: You have cam sisters who are dealing with asthma.
Asthma falls under the category of allergic diseases, but it differs from others in that it congests the lungs and can cause death by suffocation. While asthma is not curable, it is controllable and reversible. Early recognition and education are important. Wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and trouble breathing are indicators, but they are easily mistaken for a cold, flu or allergies.
Anyone can be susceptible to asthma. If your parents have it, or there is a strong family history, you have a greater risk of developing it. You can also get it with no family history, so if you have symptoms, it is imperative that you be screened. It’s also imperative that, if you are diagnosed with the condition, you listen to your doctor and keep track of your wellbeing. To those ends, here are three interesting apps:
AsthmaMD
Developed by a physician, this app contains everything you need to track, graph and journal your asthma. From attack log to peak flow meter chart, action plans, customized alerts and communication with your doctor, AsthmaMD does it all. Easy to use and read, it allows you to monitor and record triggers, symptoms and meds, as well as keep daily notes. Watch the demo here.
Asthma Health
This app was developed in collaboration with the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. The app is personalized with medication reminders, treatment plans, around-the-clock tracking, air quality notifications and feedback to patient and physician. It was designed to improve quality of life and assist with symptom control.
AsthmaTrack
This app — which is available in the iTunes store for $1.99 — also allows you to create graphs, monitor your symptoms and medications, communicate with physicians and store vital information. Additionally, it can be customized for multiple parties: If other family members are asthmatic, you can create profiles for them and store their information within the app. This is a particularly useful feature if you have children or elderly parents who suffer from asthma, and you want to ensure proper care and treatment.
Asthma is just one example of a health issue that has many options for tracking via app. There are tons of others for monitoring conditions like diabetes, migraines and chronic pain, illness occurrences by area (while traveling, for instance), allergens and pollen blooms, and even tick concentrations. You may think “Ewww, gross. Ticks…” until you live in the northeastern United States in 2017 where ticks are rampant and can cause way more than Lyme Disease.
Keeping yourself healthy is important for many reasons. Your phone can help you with marketing and media ventures, and it can help you keep your health on point, too.
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Jenna Andre is a total gearhead who also appreciates the simpler things in life. Email her at Jenna.Andre@ynotcam.com.
@yoga_girl Rachel Brathen highlights invisible illness, asthma in her case, in a super beautiful way.
