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Biometrics, Devices and Apps for Illness Management
ME/CFS and Long COVID symptoms can be different for each person and different every day. Learning to understand “how you are doing” in the moment (current health status compared to baseline), and to predict how much energy you are likely to have each day are important skills for pacing and overall illness management.
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Different people have different preferences:
Some people, especially with time and practice, can “intuitively feel” how they are doing and what energy they might have that day.
For some people, manually tracking activity, events and symptoms helps identify patterns and predict abilities and limits under different circumstances.
In this module, we take a look at a few devices and apps some people with ME/CFS or Long COVID use to measure and track biometrics that can help them understand their current health status and better manage their symptoms.
SEE OUR CAUTION AND DISCLAIMER HERE
Please contact us at feedback@mefm.bc.ca if you have a favorite biometric, device or app we have not listed here. Tell us how you use it and how it helps, if you can.
Biometrics, Measurement Devices and Tracking Apps
Devices and Apps
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Click here for information on specific devices, including:
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Chest Straps
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Wristbands/watches/rings
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Smartphones
Click here for information on a few apps to help with pacing and illness management, including:
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Measurement and tracking apps that work with biometrics devices
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Journaling apps that allow you to track things like symptoms, energy, sleep, triggers, mood, and medications.
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Tracking of some of the other useful biometrics (oxygen, sleep, etc.) listed at left.
Note: the Biometric links also include some information on devices and apps related to each biometric.
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Don’t feel overwhelmed!
Don’t feel that you have to track everything (or anything!)
Try one thing, then try another
Discuss options with your doctor
Get family or friends to help out
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There are reviews online by people with ME/CFS and Long COVID for many of the things mentioned in this module. Take a look online. See what other people say.
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And if you don’t like technology but would like to track your activity, symptoms, treatments or other metrics, take a look at our paper-based tracking toolkit here.
The following are some of the biometrics and tools that can help you understand and predict your health status and available energy.
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Click on each biometric link to see what it is, why it matters to people with ME/CFS or Long COVID, how to use it to help manage your illness, and some of the measurement/tracking devices and apps that might help.
Biometrics
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Other measures that some people find valuable to measure or track not covered here include:
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Oxygen Saturation
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Sleep Quality
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Hydration and Salt
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Lung function
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Exertion and PEM