Asthma Apps

Over the past few years, mobile apps have become a huge industry. Last year, approximately 102 billion apps were downloaded and, though most were free, they generated $26 billion in revenue. One of the most interesting developments is the rise of medical apps, including apps for people with asthma. Here are three you might find useful--

1. Wellapets

   Wellapets is an innovative educational game that helps children with asthma better understand their condition so they can control it. In the game, your child will take care of a virtual pet with asthma and learn when and how to take asthma medication, and what triggers might cause an asthma attack. Ann Wu’s daughter Allsion plays the game and according to Ann, it’s been a great educational tool. “She’s learning how to take ownership of her own illness and not needing me for everything.”

2. AsthmaMD

   AsthmaMD allows you to journal your asthma activity quickly and easily. You will get a visualized graph tracking your asthma which you can choose to share with your doctor. But perhaps the most innovative feature of AsthmaMD is that the information is also shared (anonymously, of course) with researchers-- providing data in a way that’s never been done before, so they can find asthma solutions that will help families across the country.

3. Wheezy

   Wheezy is still in development, but could be a huge benefit to those with asthma. Its goal is to predict when your next asthma attack will occur. The creator behind it, Chris Stiffler, began developing the app after a particularly bad asthma attack. It correctly predicted when his next big attack would be, but tragically that attack killed him. However, Stiffler’s colleagues at Arizona State University are continuing his work. They hope to beta test the app in the fall, then send it to the FDA for approval. Hopefully, Stiffler’s app will soon save the lives of others in his shoes.