It started off as simply counting steps, but lately there's been an explosion of health-related tracking apps and devices that enable you to monitor everything from your heart rate to the quality of your sleep. Indeed, we might be able to track a whole suite of vital signs such as heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation and the like with mobile apps in the near future.
With so much technology at our disposal, we've never known so much about ourselves.
What do these gadgets have to do with MS?
While it is handy to be able to find out just how long you need to run to burn off that piece of birthday cake, some apps offer more than just being a toy for the "worried well." For someone with multiple sclerosis, health tracking devices and apps can help you stay in control of your condition by monitoring it over time and allowing you to work with your health care team to ensure the best treatment and disease management.
Capturing and tracking information about what you experience, whether it be good or bad, puts you back in the driver's seat. For instance, you could be able to figure out if your fatigue is largely due to your MS or whether poor sleep quality could be a contributing factor. It may be a long time between your visits to see your neurologist – and when he or she asks how your mood has been over the last 6 months, can you really remember that bad week you had 4 months ago? Providing them with comprehensive information can help inform key decisions about your care.
In addition to general lifestyle apps such as sleep trackers, pedometers, and mood monitors, there are now apps available specifically designed to help you keep tabs on your MS directly. If you’re looking for a multiple sclerosis app, simply search for “MS apps” online or on your phone’s app store. You’ll be able to see many apps that are designed to help people with MS specifically. They help people with MS track general well-being and symptoms over time to build a valuable picture of their health. With these apps, you can record daily data about symptoms, mood, energy, exercise, medication, and more. This data can be viewed in charts and shared with your MS specialist team. It can help you recognize, record, and report changes in your condition to make the most out of consultations and support decision-making.
Keeping tabs on a condition like MS can, to some extent, mean constantly being reminded of it – which may not appeal to everyone. But you can reap rewards by being active in observing how your condition changes over time and working with your doctor or specialist to plan the best approach to treatment and management. Better information could drive positive changes in your diet, lifestyle, or medication. Given the importance of effectively managing MS to delay progression of the disease, it's good for your and your care team to have the opportunity to spot things early.
Can technology help you manage MS symptoms?
Your neurologist is always tracking – it's their job. Whether they're looking at changes in MRI scans or the presence of lesions (scars that are indicative of ongoing inflammation and damage), tracking is essential to managing the progression of MS.
So how can you help your doctor keep track of everything? Add in some self-reported tracking of relapses or symptom changes you experience, such as weakness, swallowing issues, or bowel and bladder changes, as well as mental changes such as forgetfulness, or difficulties with concentration. These can be key points of discussion to help your neurologist best manage your disease. Ultimately, the more accurate information you can provide for your health care team, the easier it could be for them to understand how MS is affecting you and your life – and what you can do together to improve it. Tracking is now so much more than counting steps, and it's getting more sophisticated all the time.
All material copyright MediResource Inc. 1996 – 2024. Terms and conditions of use. The contents herein are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Source: www.medbroadcast.com/healthfeature/gethealthfeature/Managing-MS-Lets-Get-Tracking
