Last week I had a patient who was wondering if they were having a heart rhythm problem and wanted a way to check it at home.  Some quick research on the APP store turned up several apps that would not only monitor your heart rhythm but alert you when it was abnormal and may even alert your doctor.   So, I went on a hunt to find the most interesting medical apps.  This was too much fun so READ ON to see what I came up with!  You might just find a few of them very useful.

I was amazed at the medical apps available.  There were some really useful ones and then there were some rather unique apps.   I found myself going…really?  There is an app for that?  Hopefully you are already familiar with the food tracking apps like My Fitness Pal or Lose it.  If you don’t have time or the $$ to go exercise somewhere you will shocked to see how many exercise plans and fitness program apps there are so take a peek!  Outside of food and exercise, here are some of the apps that warrant mentioning.

 

A cool way to donate

  1. Charity Miles:  if you are a runner then you need this app.  With each mile you walk, run or even bike you help your chosen charity earn money.  The donated funds come from corporations so all you have to do is move and it’s for a good cause!   I just LOVE this!!

 

Medically helpful

  1. Qardio: This app claims it can track your heart rate, irregular heartbeat, body mass index, weight, calories all by using their Qardio device and free app.  There were many devices including a Bluetooth connected blood pressure cuff as well as a smart scale/body analyzer.
  2. Smoke free: if you are trying to quit smoking check out this one.  It gives you several techniques to stay smoke free.  You can also track trends that cause cravings, show how much money you would be saving by not smoking and apparently show you how your life is improving.   There were several other apps in the quit smoking category so be sure and look and find one that fits your needs.
  3. Kardia: this monitors your heart rhythm by capturing a 30 second EKG.  If you are worried your heart is out of rhythm then take a look.
  4. Medical ID: You can set a medical alert on your lock screen which may be helpful for emergency situations.  This comes standard on the Health app on any iphone! Who knew?
  5. SnoreLab: If you are worried you have sleep apnea or want to convince your partner they have sleep apnea then look into this one!  It will record and track your snoring.  Sleep apnea is so important to address so just try it.
Recent Newsletters:  The dark side of Energy Drinks

 

For improved stress/emotional well-being/relationships

  1. Calm & Insight Timer (my personal favorite) are two great meditation apps that offer a variety of types of meditations from guided to music or even a DIY timer.
  2. Happify: this app claims to help remove negative thoughts and overcome stress resulting in better emotional well-being.  Just the name of it is worth taking a look…
  3. Stress check Pro: apparently, this monitors your pulse and heart rate showing you how stressful situations affect you and helps you start to manage it.
  4. Love Nudge: If you have heard of the five love languages then this is the same author.  They took the book and condensed it into an easy 2 minute quiz to discover your love language and then give you tips and reminders to fill up your tank!  Love this app!!
  5. The Tapping Solution:  I love tapping and Nick Ortner does a great job.  He is the mastermind behind this APP and makes it super easy to do on the go!

 

Cool up and coming apps

  1. FreeStyle Libre Pro: the user wears a tiny insertable sensor and patch on your arm and it will track blood sugar every 15 minutes for two weeks.  The Jazz Wireless 2 Blood glucose monitoring system is also a blood sugar monitoring system that gives a sugar reading in 5 seconds.  I love seeing technology start giving feedback for blood sugars without having to prick your finger!
  2. PeriCoach: Use this app with a device that is a pelvic floor exerciser training and tracking Kegel exercises to help with bladder leaks for women.
  3. HIV reading smartphone dongle: this $34 dollar device plugs into your phone and will test you for HIV and syphilis in 15 minutes.  Imagine how this is going to change testing!

 

There are so many fun and useful apps.  Bottom line is if you have a need there might just be an app to help you with it.  I have not vetted all these apps and there are so many more in the categories I selected so take the time to explore the different apps and find one you like.  Be sure and share them with everyone on facebook!

 

To your health,

Laura