Friday 18 April 2014

MS APPs

"You've got MS?".  "OOOooohhh, there's an APP for that!".


What?  Seriously?  An APP?  Do you mean a 'Mobile Application'?  Do you mean a 'Mobile Application' for MS?  An APP, a 'Mobile Application' for MS for my Mobile Phone?  Is there an APP for everything these days?

Apparently, yes there is!   Pretty much.

There are approximately 200 people every week that are diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS).  The National MS Society estimates that around c. 100,000 people in the UK have MS, and there are approximately 2.5 million people worldwide who are thought to be living with the condition.

There is currently no cure available for this autoimmune disease, although there are treatments now available to slow the progression for people with Relapsing Remitting MS (RRMS); drugs which aim to reduce the severity of the relapse and the frequency of the relapses.



There is no cure, but now there are APPs; Smartphone APPs - for both Apple iPhones and Android Phones, which can keep you informed and can even help you to manage your MS. These APPs aim to inform and aid those with the disease, and to assist them to live a more comfortable life with MS.  There are various APPs - some generic, some more specific to deal with more precise aspects of the disease, for example there are APPs specifically related to Anxiety.  Blimey.


The 'MS Diagnosis and Management' APP was developed in collaboration with the National MS Society and, in my opinion, is a good starting place, if you are looking for an APP with an overview of general information relating to MS. The APP is free for both iPhone and Android.  The APP is informative, discusses the four disease courses: Benign MS, Relapsing Remitting (RRMS), Secondary Progressive (SPMS), and Primary Progressive (PPMS) and features up-to-date information on the diagnosis, classification, and management of MS.

There is an APP which has been created with the caregiver in mind.  There are APPs which help to keep track of your health records and act as Journals.  The APP 'MS Journal' may therefore be a helpful APP to help keep track of important aspects of the condition, such as medication.  There are some APPs that give expert advice and some that offer more general help and support. 

There is an APP called 'Momentum Magazine' which is free for both iPhone and Android, which again has been developed by the National MS Society. Momentum Magazine, is a quarterly publication, and is apparently the most widely read MS-related publication in the world covering all aspects of the disease, and living with the disease.


There is also an APP which acts as an 'MS Pedometer' helping those with MS to monitor their mobility, to encourage them to keep active and exercise, all of which can be an issue for people with MS, due to fatigue, muscle weakness, and/or vision problems.  With so much to keep track of each and every day even the healthiest individuals, without 'brainfog' could forget important tasks. The memory of someone suffering from MS may not be quite as quick and astute and may be significantly impaired and slowed (due to cognitive dysfunction) so it could be extremely useful to have information easily accessible on a Mobile Device or SmartPhone.  'MyMSTeam' is an APP and Social Network site designed for people with MS.


An APP I just found only last weekend, by accident is called 'Seeing MS'.  This APP is free for both iPhone and Android.  They also have a website:http://seeingms.com/.  The APP is a introduction to a global photographic project that visualises the symptoms of multiple sclerosis and is all about using photography to expose the invisible symptoms of MS.  There is video on their website and the video, which really is worth watching is also available on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mu1Y5Qnoy84&feature=youtu.be


Technology really is amazing.  The speed with which technology is being designed and developed is incredible. We live in an age of technological development and advancement.  The internet is an immense and exciting source of knowledge and information,including audio podcasts and BLOGs all of which are helpful and useful and informative and can be accessed and shared though computers, tablets and through the modern technology that is your Mobile Telephone.

7 comments:

  1. Very informative and helpful!

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  2. Nice roundup, Hanya! I bet many people aren't aware of just how many apps are out there. The MS Journal app is especially helpful for managing injections. There is another journal app called MS Self that additionally offers some flash cards of MS facts; I use that one since I don't need to do injections anymore. The Mobility Matters app is also excellent. Thanks!

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    1. Thank You. I keep finding new APPs! I really like the 'Seeing MS' APP as a creative way of viewing the condition, a great way to raise awareness.

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    2. The 'MS Self' APP is really interesting and useful. Thanks for the recommendation x

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  3. You have opened a door with this that I never knew existed. I don't know why, but it never occurred to me that there might be an App for MS, let alone the number that you have found. Thanks very much for another great blogpost!

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    1. I keep finding them now! Some are more useful than others, but most are free so it is worth having a look. Have you seen the 'Seeing MS' video? That is worth a watch:
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mu1Y5Qnoy84&feature=youtu.be

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