Smartphones are now replacing almost every type of tool and equipment. Besides calling and texting, they are now impacting our lives in many surprising ways. By taking over things like calculators, radios, flashlights, books, clocks, and many other items, this little piece of technology sits in our pockets and does astonishing things.
One such equipment smartphones have successfully replicated is an ECG machine with mobile apps. These ECG apps can detect and record your heartbeat using a smartphone camera, flash, and your fingertip. Once you complete the tests, the app will provide tips and pointers depending on the results.
For those who usually skip a visit to the doctor’s clinic, we recommend that you download these apps and keep track of your heart’s health no matter when or where.
Here are our top 7 picks:
1. Cardiograph
Quite small in size, but the app has over 10 million downloads on Google Playstore. Good things come in small sizes, don’t they? The app allows you to measure your heart rate using your device’s built-in camera or a dedicated sensor similar to the equipment used by medical professionals. It’s user-friendly and comes with a very intuitive design.
Start by putting the index finger on your phone’s camera. The trick is to allow the flash to illuminate your placed finger and then measure the change in color, which basically is red, caused by your pulse.
The app is easy to use and provides reliable results while measuring your pulse. You can also create multiple profiles by allowing friends and family to have their own individual measurements on a shared device. The app works just fine and can be used in a range of scenarios.
2. Welltory
One of the best health apps on the internet, Welltory allows you to measure your stress level and other health metrics by simply monitoring your heart rate.
The app helps you manage your health routine by analyzing your day-to-day activities. Aside from receiving health alerts on when you should see a doctor, Welltory also provides recommendations on how to overcome stress, anxiety, and sleep disorders.
For the app to work, you will need to provide some basic information like your gender, height, weight, and age. Next, to check your pulse rate, you will have to press the red center button using the index finger. Remember to cover both the camera lens and the flash. Once the test is complete, the app will provide tips and recommendations based on the result.
3. Kardia
Considering its high accuracy level, Kardia app is trusted by many medical professionals and is highly recommended by cardiologists. The app is specifically designed to make heart health management very fast and easy. You can easily check your heart rate at home and keep track of your health history.
Truly a life-saver app, Kardia provides medical-grade EKG and can even track possible atrial fibrillation, bradycardia, or tachycardia. In addition, you can also send the recordings to your physician and get immediate advice.
To record an ECG, you will have to connect the app with KardiaMobile, KardiaMobile 6L, or KardiaBand hardware.
4. FibriCheck
FibriCheck is a medically approved app, tried and trusted by doctors and clinicians worldwide. The app is the brainwork of medical experts collaborating with a reputed Belgian hospital and university. This app can check your heart rhythm within a minute!
You just have to place your finger on your smartphone camera. Using the camera’s flash, the app measures changes in the volume of your blood vessels and determines your heart rhythm. The app can detect cardiac arrhythmias, which is one of the most common heart problems in adults. The app does not require additional devices to connect with.
If you get an unusual rhythm, you can share the report with your doctor or with the FibriCheck team of medical experts and get the right diagnosis.
5. Heart Rate Monitor
A high level of stress, both physical or mental can cause heart irregularities such as atrial fibrillation. Heart Rate Monitor is one such app that checks and evaluates your heart condition. The app is designed to provide high-accuracy results along with important health insights.
Just like other similar apps, Heart Rate Monitor also uses the back lens of your smartphone. Start by gently covering the lens with your fingertip. Now, stay still and allow the flash to scan and capture your blood vessels. This way, the app uses algorithms to detect your heart rhythm and interpret the measurement.
For more effective measurement, you can use it several times a day like early in the morning, right after your physical activity, or before going to bed.
6. StressScan
Ever thought about checking how much stress you have and what you should do to minimize it? Well, StressScan can scientifically measure your stress level on a scale of 1 to 100.
The app works by evaluating the waveform of your heartbeat generated by your smartphone camera and your fingertip. For this app to work, you will require a camera-and-flash-equipped smartphone. The app uses heart rate variability analysis technology, a method now used in treating PSTD in soldiers returning from war and by NASA to train astronauts.
Overall, the app is user-friendly and can be effectively used to treat stress and anxiety.
7. CardioVisual
Though CardioVisual may not measure your heart rate, it is quite a useful app that provides detailed information about cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and overall health issues. In fact, it is a health library designed and developed by cardiologists from the US.
Considering its quality content, the app has been awarded the 2018 & 2019 ‘ Best App for Heart Disease’ by Healthline Media. The app contains high-quality and clinician-curated videos together with clear and simplified infographics about all types of heart ailments.
This is totally a time-saving app and is highly recommended for both doctors and patients. Instead of pamphlets and brochures, physicians can just share videos with patients and help them understand their underlying conditions. Also, the app provides resources that help patients to make smart decisions about their health.
On the whole, the app comes with interactive features and help users become aware of their health.
Final Words:
Everybody goes through some hurdles in life. But that doesn’t mean you should compromise your mind and body. Oftentimes, we make the mistake of allowing stress to build up and consume our well-being. It is proven that stress and anxiety are associated with a 26% increased risk of heart diseases. It can even get worse among individuals with existing cardiac diseases.
While ECG apps may fill in a lot of practical testing methods in print, they can never take the place of doctors or cardiologists who alone can carry out comprehensive tests for your heart. So always remember to pay a visit to hospitals or clinics and get your heart checked from time to time.