Apps to Help Manage IBS
Most of us carry our cell phones/mobile phones around with us everywhere we go. They’re with us lying in bed, lounging on the sofa, in the car, on the train, at meal time and many of us even take them to the toilet, especially if you’re going to be in there for a long time!
Apps to manage IBS symptoms
So why not use that resource right in front of you and download a few apps to help you manage your IBS. Here are a few of my favorites, and if you have any that help you, please share them with us.
Bowelle – The IBS Tracker
iPhone
Price - free
I discovered this app recently and it’s a great way to record your symptoms. It allows you to record your mood, what you have eaten (description or photo), your water intake, bowel movements, stress levels and some custom options like sleep. You can then send the data via email in a spreadsheet to yourself so that you can store or share the information with a health professional about how you have been tracking.
Calm
Android, iPhone and online
Price – some free options
Calm - Meditate, Sleep, Relax (for Androids)
Calm: Meditation to Relax, Focus & Sleep Better (for Apple products)
Perhaps my favorite meditation app. It has a number of free guided meditation options and you can subscribe for a cost to access more options, but the free ones are sufficient for me. It also has a ‘breathe’ option, to help when you are feeling stressed or anxious. But the best part of this app is the sleep stories. At the time of writing they have three free stories that run for 15 to 30 mins. All you need to do is press play on your phone, leave it beside your bed as you fall asleep and listen to the relaxing story. I rarely make it to the end of the story because the act of focusing on the story helps to clear my mind of the daily chatter, allows my body to relax and drift off to sleep.
The Monash University Low FODMAP diet app
Android and iPhone
Price - varies
The low FODMAP diet aims to remove poorly absorbed carbohydrates from the diet for a period of time and then reintroduce them to help determine what foods may trigger symptoms. If you are following the low FODMAP diet or if you are curious about what it’s all about, then this app can provide you with information about the diet, a searchable database for all the foods that have been tested and what serving sizes are acceptable. It even has recipes and an option to create a shopping list and a symptom diary.
SAM – Self-help Anxiety Management
Android and iPhone
Price – varies
Self-help Anxiety Management (for Android)
Self-help for Anxiety Management (for Apple products)
Many people with IBS experience anxiety on a daily basis. Anxiety may trigger IBS symptoms and anxiety could be caused by IBS. This app has helped me get through some difficult times. It has a number of helpful exercises and techniques if you are feeling panicked or anxious, it allows you to track how you are feeling and provides links for other anxiety resources.
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