A Smartphone Appreciation Moment
Have you ever stopped to think about the myriad ways in which we use our smartphones? We’re willing to bet that you’ve used it in the past couple of weeks alone as a
- dictionary
- alarm clock
- roadmap
- pedometer
- calendar
- notebook
- library
- newspaper
- photo album
- stopwatch
And a telephone, of course – and the list goes on and on!
Smartphones are really mini-computers that we carry around in our pockets and purses. Not only do they help you get through your day in ways that years ago only seemed possible on Star Trek, there are more and more ways they can work to keep your healthy.
The number of medical apps available for smartphones is growing! Some of the helpful health management apps we’ve seen out there include:
Diabetes trackers that help diabetics control their blood sugar levels by tracking things like carbohydrate intake, medications, workouts, and weight. Some apps even allow you to summarize and download your health stats to the cloud and have them available to your doctor.
Nutrition apps that help you choose the right foods by allowing you to scan nutrition labels and assign a good or bad “grade” to any labeled food
Calorie counters that encourage you not to overeat by doing the “calories in” math for you and
exercise trackers that help manage your “calories out” with customizable workouts, calories burned, number of steps taken, and ways to keep you accountable for your workouts
Pill reminders that can send you a message when it’s time to take your meds
Doctor knows best!
Any smartphone app is only helpful if you use it, and even then, you shouldn’t use an app to diagnose yourself or replace a live doctor’s care. When you have concerns about foot pain, ankle pain, heel pain, sports injuries to the feet, etc., make an appointment with Dr. Kenneth R. Wilhelm of Clifton Foot & Ankle Center. Dr. Wilhelm has over 20 years of experience treating all aspects of foot and ankle care, including diabetic foot care. Contact us online or call our office in Centreville, VA at (703) 996-3000.