Nowadays, we use our phones for almost everything. From chatting with friends, to doing banking transactions, to getting food delivered to our homes, there is a separate app for everything. So, can't we use this technology to check on our health and help us stay healthy? Of course we can. Today, we are talking about these Health Apps that help you take care of your health right from your phone.
When you go to App stores like Apple and Google, there are more than a million health-related apps like this. New apps are added every day. So, out of all these apps, how do you choose which ones are really useful for you and will add something good to your health? Let's understand this simply.
What are the main types of health apps?
First, we need to look at what kind of app you are looking for. Generally speaking, these health apps can be divided into four main categories. Once you understand this classification, it is very easy to choose the app that suits you.
| App Category | Simply put... (Simple Explanation) |
|---|---|
| 1. General Health and Wellness Apps | These are the most popular types among us. Apps that help you exercise, track your diet, lose weight, track your sleep, and improve your mental well-being fall into this category. |
| 2. Health Management Apps | If you have a chronic condition like diabetes or high blood pressure, these are apps that can help you manage your condition. They can also help you remember to take your medications on time. |
| 3. Telehealth and Telemedicine Apps | Through these apps, you can talk to a doctor right from your phone and get advice. That is, they provide the opportunity to meet a doctor from the comfort of your home (virtual visit) without having to go to the hospital. |
| 4. Digital Therapeutics Apps | This is the newest and most advanced type. These are not just apps. They are officially approved apps that can be prescribed by a doctor as a treatment for a specific disease. |
As noted by renowned physician Daniel Craft, "Our risk of developing disease is increased by our daily lifestyle habits. But the good news is that there are now plenty of technological tools that can help us change those habits for the better."
1. General Health and Wellness Apps
These are the simplest apps that most of us can use. Imagine you want to lose weight . An app like `MyFitnessPal` lets you record the foods you eat, the calories you burn, and the exercise you do. Apps like `Strava` also track the distance you run, walk, or cycle.
Someone with sleep problems can use an app like `Sleep Cycle` to track their sleep patterns. Also, apps like `Calm` and `Headspace`, which help in achieving calmness and mental focus, are very popular in the world today.
How these work with wearables
Many people now use a ``smart watch`` that they wear on their wrist, such as ``Fitbit.`` Many of these apps can be connected (synced) with these devices. Then, everything like the number of steps you walk per day, your heart rate , and the time you went to bed are automatically added to the app. You can also add all this information to ``Apple Health Kit`` or ``Google Fit`` on your phone, and see a complete report about your health in one place.
2. Apps that help manage chronic diseases
These apps are specifically designed to help people with chronic diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure , asthma, and arthritis .
- For someone with diabetes: These apps help you record your blood glucose level throughout the day and mark the time you take insulin.
- For someone with high blood pressure: These can be used to record blood pressure readings taken at home and to remind them to take their medication.
- Medication reminders: These apps are very useful for reminding people to take their medications on time (`medication reminders`).
Very important: If you have a chronic condition like this, be sure to talk to your doctor before using an app like this. Because the information in some apps may not be very accurate. Therefore, it is safest to use only a trusted app that is approved by your doctor. Some apps also allow you to ``share data`` directly with your doctor.
3. Talk to a doctor from home (Telemedicine Apps)
This has become a bit popular in Sri Lanka with the Covid pandemic. Simply put, `Telemedicine` means getting medical advice over the phone or over the internet. Along with international apps like `Doctor on Demand` and `Teladoc`, several major hospitals in Sri Lanka now offer this service.
Through this app you can:
- Talk to a doctor via video call and tell them about your symptoms.
- For minor illnesses like the common cold and skin infections, seek advice from home instead of going to the hospital.
- Show your reports to the doctor and talk about them.
This is a very convenient method as it saves both time and money, and you don't have to deal with a patient. But remember, in an emergency, you should go directly to a hospital's Emergency Treatment Unit (ETU) without using an app like this.
4. Apps that prescribe like medicine (Digital Therapeutics)
This is the latest innovation in this field. Imagine, like a doctor prescribing you a medicine, an app is prescribed as a 'treatment'. That's what this is like.
These apps don't just give advice. They have been clinically tested as a treatment for a specific disease, their results have been confirmed, and they have been approved by government health institutions.
For example, the app `BlueStar` has been proven to help people with diabetes manage their blood sugar levels. The app `Kaia Health` helps reduce muscle pain, such as back pain.
Although these are not yet very common in Sri Lanka, there will come a time in the future when a doctor will tell you, along with a medicine, "Install this app on your phone and use it this way."
Take-Home Message
- Health apps are a great tool to help you take care of your health, but they are not a substitute for medical advice.
- Before choosing an app, do some research on the company that created it and the reviews of those who have used it.
- If you have a chronic condition like diabetes or high blood pressure, never follow the advice given by apps like this without consulting a doctor . Talk to your doctor first.
- These apps can provide great motivation for things like exercise and diet. It will be a good start to your healthy life.
- If used correctly and intelligently, technology can be a great help in improving our health.
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