Some afflictions are becoming more common than they used to be. IBS is one of them. The reason for that is our diets and general lifestyles. IBS like other lifelong diseases is tough to manage. It can get a little frustrating and has an impact on your quality of life.
Since there are no absolute treatments and cures for it, there is a requirement for major lifestyle and dietary changes to be able to cope with them. However, with the advancement in technology and medicine, such diseases are easier to manage.
In addition to different drugs that alleviate the symptoms with no side effects, there are also technological solutions that help manage your irritable bowel problem. Some apps help regulate the symptoms and locate activities that trigger them. By creating a plan for you to follow, such apps substantially improve the quality of life for an individual.
Diseases like IBS are more puzzling than they are painful. Once you figure out the natural flow of your body and put all the pieces together, it becomes far easier to get by. One important piece of the puzzle is steady internet connectivity.
The apps that help you monitor the key indicators of IBS often use the internet for full functionality ty. With a condition that flares up almost without warning, you need to airtight internet connection. Cox Internet is a provider that provides lag-free service with no interruptions.
Let’s get some insight into IBS and different apps that can help manage the disease.
What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
You may not know this but IBS affects more people than we can think. It is because a lot of them do not feel comfortable expressing this affliction. About 15% of the population in the United States suffers from irritable bowel syndrome. It affects more women than men.
It is when your digestive system fails to produce symptoms like stomach ache, diarrhea or constipation, bloating, etc. A person suffering from IBS experiences periods of these symptoms from days to weeks, sometimes even months.
Treatment of IBS, as discussed, lies in lifestyle changes like quitting smoking, eating a fiber-rich diet, exercising regularly, etc. You can also use OTC medication to manage discomfort. Another interesting factor is stress. If you stay stress-free, there are reduced chances of flare-ups.
Since the aforementioned remedies are about routine and management, there are some very effective apps custom-made for this.
Apps for Irritable Bowel Syndrome
We will now discuss some of the apps that help manage the trial and error of your triggers for IBS.
- Bowelle
This app takes the lame out of IBS and the quirky UX makes it fun to use. It syncs up with your Apple Health and uploads your other vital data as well. You log the rest of the data from your mood, diet, bowel movements, and time of day for each event. With this accurate record, Bowelle helps create a list of triggers to look out for. You also have the option of customization so you can track factors other than food or stress.
- Cara Care
This is more of an umbrella app for an ailment of the digestive system. They range from irritable bowel syndrome to inflammatory bowel disease, with an addition of dyspepsia and Gastroesophageal reflux (GERD). This app mainly works on the record-keeping of bowel movements in detail. It also calibrates various parameters of your health and routine. This translates into meaningful insights about both. Cara Care comes with a directory of constantly updating recipes for foods that are safe for patients to consume.
- FODMAP
This app was created by the Monash University of Australia. It is an acronym for some important fermentable food groups:
- Oligo-saccharides
- Di-saccharides
- Mono-saccharides
- Polyols
It has been proven that some foods are not easily absorbable in the digestive system, more importantly, the small intestine. FODMAP helps determine how different foods rank on this list. This way you can look for foods to avoid in the future. Higher the position of the food on FODMAP more fervently it needs to be avoided. It uses a red-yellow-green light strategy to display the danger level of that food. This helps you stick to a low FODMAP diet and avoid instances of flare-ups.
Final Thoughts
Being able to manage your disease yourself and saving yourself the discomfort is always a smart thing to do. Going to a healthcare professional to seek help in times of distress is also just as smart. You may be following diet plans unknowingly way before your diagnosis. However, these apps help you organize your memory so you can make lifestyle choices more in line with your condition. They help you learn more and do more for yourself. Self-care is a journey. Don’t be afraid to embrace technology along the way.
