self help
Take Relief into Your Own Hands
High Five
Ready to start keeping track of your headaches? The solution is as close as your mobile phone.
H
EADACHE DIARIES ARE ONE OF THE BEST TOOLS you and your health care provider have for staying on top of your headache disorder. But for many people, keeping track of the incredible panoply of triggers that can set off a headache is a big stressor— which is yet another headache trigger.
If you need a way to keep a detailed history of your headache patterns and treatments, look no farther than your mobile phone. Thanks to a variety of handy apps, it’ s easier than ever to maintain your essential headache information and generate detailed reports for health care providers. Here are five apps to try on various smart phone platforms.
iHeadache
Available on: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Blackberry Cost: Free($ 4.99 for the ad-free version) Developed by: Brian D. Loftus, MD, neurologist, researcher and headache specialist Average Customer Rating( iTunes): 4 stars out of 5 This app uses the International Headache Society Criteria to tell you which type of headache you’ re having and helps you track your headache symptoms, duration, severity, triggers and medications. You can also keep individual notes about each headache and generate reports to share with your physician.
Pros: Allows you to track the amount of time you were disabled or partially disabled. Gives you a MIDAS( migraine disability assessment) score.
Cons: Pop-up ads in the free version. Can’ t customize triggers. Somewhat basic features.
Ubiqi Health Migraine Tracker
Available on: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Blackberry Cost: Free Developed by: Ubiqi Health Average Customer Rating( iTunes): 3.5 stars out of 5 Developed after talking to migraineurs about their needs, this tool can help you better understand your migraine and trigger patterns, as well as the effectiveness of your treatments. Before using the app, you need to create a user account at http:// ubiqihealth. com / sign-me-up /. You can also view and print reports from your computer by signing in at www. ubiqihealth. com.
Pros: Good information about migraines and triggers. Can view and print reports online.
Cons: Complicated sign-in process. Difficult to use.
18 HEAD WISE | Volume 1, Issue 1 • 2011