Do you break into a fit of pollen-induced sneezing with the onset of spring? Or are you always on the lookout for restaurants that serve gluten-free delicacies every time you’re planning an outing with your friends?
In either case, you’d know that living with any kind of allergy isn’t easy. You always have to keep your guard up and watch what you eat and drink. Likewise, you have to constantly keep an eye out for changes in the weather.
From dust, mold, and pollen to certain types of food - you likely have to deal with a wide variety of allergens. You might have already lost your sleep trying to identify the factors that trigger your allergies.
Chances are you’ve even tried numerous remedies, including medical treatments and natural therapies, to control and manage your allergies. Nevertheless, all your efforts seem futile when you’re hit by another bout of hay fever, skin rashes, and other manifestations of allergy.
The good news is that you’re not alone. Allergies are the sixth most common cause of chronic ailments in the U.S. This means living a normal life despite having an allergy isn’t that difficult, after all.
Moreover, modern technology has facilitated the development of various innovative solutions that make it easier to avoid or manage allergic reactions. From smart digital inhalers to pollen tracking systems - you now have access to a broad spectrum of tech innovations to combat allergies.
In this blog, we’ll discuss a few useful applications of new-age technology that are helping people manage allergies.
Websites & Mobile Applications
Wouldn’t it be great if you could check the presence of pollen in your neighborhood before stepping out of home? Imagine how easy it’d be to choose the right time for spending a holiday in a foreign country?
This is the kind of useful information that you get on modern weather intelligence platforms, such as ClimaCell’s site. Tree, weed, grass - you get access to different types of pollen indices in any neighborhood or city. This can go a long way to help you better prepare for pollen season before it comes knocking at your door.
Other websites that offer similar pollen data and forecasts include The Weather Channel, Pollen.com, and National Allergy Bureau Pollen Counts. Most of these platforms also offer free apps for Android and iOS users.
These apps provide you with timely warnings on pollen data and even send regular reminders to take your allergy medication. Some mobile apps even let you record your symptoms and track your history of allergic reactions.
Likewise, apps, such as AllergyEats and Find Me Gluten Free are designed to help people with food allergies. For instance, AllergyEats aggregates and analyzes customer reviews of different restaurants and rates them based on the availability of allergy-friendly food options.
Air Purifiers
The deteriorating air quality in several cities and states has made it impossible to avoid allergies, even when you’re always staying indoors.That’s why the rise of air purifiers has been a blessing for people with asthma and pollen allergy.
Modern air purifiers are more compact and lightweight than those designed for commercial use. This, in turn, ensures that they’re easy to store and move around, making them ideal for residential spaces.
HEPA air purifiers are the most common variant used in homes. They comprise filters made of thin glass fiber that trap large airborne particles, such as dust, pollen, and other pollutants, while allowing the air molecules to pass. It helps ensure that at least you’re breathing clean and fresh air at home.
Air purifiers can go a long way to reduce the severity of symptoms associated with respiratory allergies. However, make sure you check the air quality and pollen index in your neighborhood to decide whether it’s worth investing in an air purifier.
Tracking Devices & Sensors
The advancement in sensor technology has made it possible to design portable food allergen detectors, such as Nima. It’s a tiny hand-held device that scan a small sample of the given food and reveals whether it contains any allergens, such as gluten and peanuts.
Likewise, asthma patients can use inhalers with in-built GPS sensors that relay information about their surroundings to remote servers via Bluetooth. This data can be used by doctors to determine a personalized course of treatment for every patient, based on their surroundings.
Allergies affect nearly 50 million people in the U.S. every year. While most allergies don’t have a cure, there are ways to avoid and manage triggers. Modern technology has made it possible to live a normal life, despite any kind of allergy.
The use of pollen tracking apps and websites can go a long way to help people who suffer from pollen allergies. Likewise, sensor-based allergen detection kits come in handy for people who suffer from food allergies.
Have you used any other apps or devices to manage your allergies? Share your suggestions in the comments section below.
Author bio:
Ellen Hawke is a software engineer and entrepreneur by profession. Having created her first healthcare app at the age of 19, Hawke has been passionate about the merger of technology and medicine. She believes that the modern advancements in medical science will usher in a new era of treatments for various chronic diseases. When not discussing revenue targets and marketing strategies with her team, you’ll find her hammering her way through the keyboard, drafting content for her blog.
