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Remember when Maxwell Smart used his shoe to phone Agent 99? Or when James Bond made phone calls from his Bentley? Yes, we may be dating ourselves, but what we saw all those decades ago as being futuristic or even a little ridiculous, turned out to be fictional precursors to today’s smartphones.

You may know smartphones by their brand names: iPhones, Blackberrys, Palms, Androids and others. They’ve evolved from their phone-only roots to become powerful tools that can help you manage many aspects of your life.

That management takes place through the use of “apps,” short for “applications.” Apps are programs you install on your smartphone to help you learn, track, monitor, verify or even play. Among them are thousands of health-related apps.

The portability of these apps is what makes them so useful. Since they reside on your phone, in your purse or pocket, they are available where you need them, when you need them. Most are inexpensive. Many are free.

Here are some examples:

Do you have a food allergy? Or do you avoid foods like salt, sugar or gluten? Sometimes it’s difficult to tell whether processed or packaged foods contain problematic ingredients. One smartphone app lets you register a list of foods you want to avoid before you go shopping. At the store you use your smartphone to snap a photo of the barcode on a package, and the app will instantly tell you whether that food fits within your limits.

Do you take medicines at certain times of the day? Try a reminder app. Input your list of meds, and the times you take them. A friendly smartphone reminder will ring, ding, or vibrate, telling you what to take, at the times you specify. No more missed doses.

Are you a walker, jogger or runner who likes to see your progress? Several apps are available to help you keep track of routes and miles, and measure them against your previous accomplishments. Some will help you track your progress in preparation for that marathon you’ve set your sights on.

There are as many health-related smartphone apps as there are reasons to use them. If you already have a smartphone, take a look at the possibilities. And if not, check with your cell phone service provider to learn more about health-related smartphone apps that might work for you.

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Trisha Torrey is Every Patient’s Advocate^TM.
She offers no medical advice, but empowers those who
want to learn more about diagnosis and treatment options by
providing useful tools and resources.