Top Vital Signs Apps of 2023: Revolutionizing Personal Health Tracking

Back in ancient history, when my father would return from one of his raiding trips to England (nah! kidding; he only looked like a Viking but was actually a traveling businessman), he would bring us gifts. My favorite memory is of a Timex wristwatch with Mickey Mouse hands. It had to be wound up manually. But it never once lost time. Of course it didn’t monitor my health either, not my BP, not my heart rate, not my stress level, not my Oxygenation. Nada! Zilch! Just correct time. And now I have a watch that actually does all that. And apps in my mobile phone that do it too And as accurately as my Timex told time. 

The point is, in the wonderful era of 0s and 1s that we live in – the digital age – monitoring your health has transcended traditional methods of Kate Beckinsale look-alike nurses taking your readings, thanks to the innovation of vital signs apps. These apps have very quickly acquired levels of indispensability for individuals looking to keep a close eye on their health metrics. As we get ready to party into 2024, let’s look at some of the top vital signs apps we had in 2023 that are already revolutionizing personal health tracking.

1. Veyetals – The All-in-One Health Monitor

Veyetals stands out as a remarkable app in the realm of health monitoring. Your mommy will always be a step ahead, by Veyetals does bring an incredible array of abilities to track a wide range of vital signs just by using your smartphone’s camera. From heart rate to stress levels, Veyetals provides a comprehensive overview of your health in a matter of seconds. Its user-friendly interface and the convenience of not requiring any additional hardware make it an app of choice for those seeking an efficient and hassle-free way to monitor their health. And like mommy, it can tell when you’re faking it.

2. Instant Heart Rate: HR Monitor

This app is a pioneer in using smartphone cameras for monitoring heart rates. There was a gag in an episode of “That 70s Show” where Red Foreman’s heart rate monitor went wild every time Bob Pinciotti and his girlfriend Pamela Burkheart (Brooke Shields) entered the scene, and Bob’s wife got very very cross. (Episode spoiler: it wasn’t Pamela’s sexuality but Bob’s irritating personality that triggered the monitor). If the episode was filmed today, Red would y place his finger over the camera lens of his smartphone, and the app would measure his heart rate with commendable accuracy. It’s an excellent tool for those who want to track their heart rate before and after exercise or other rate increasing events – such as Brooke Shields – to monitor stress and overall cardiovascular health.

3. Blood Pressure Companion

Now for Red, blood pressure was an ongoing health concern, ever since his return from the Korean War. Lucky for him, his wife Kitty was a trained nurse, and kept an eye on him. Today’sscriptwriters would probably make Kitty a law clerk and give Red a Blood Pressure Companion app on his smartphone (more gags where Red keeps getting frustrated with tech; (man! I should be a scriptwriter)). This simplifies health tracking, and would probably alert Kitty if something went “off level”. It allows users such as Red Foreman to log their blood pressure readings, view trends over time, and even share this data with their healthcare providers, or with Kitty. Although it doesn’t measure blood pressure directly, its logging and analysis capabilities are invaluable for those managing hypertension or heart-related conditions.

4. MyOxygen

The oxygen ratio in our atmosphere is on the decline; on top of that, sedentary lifestyles mean we don’t get to exercise our lungs as well as we ought to. Net net, we’re not absorbing as much oxygen as the factory specs said we should. MyOxygen is an innovative app that turns your smartphone into a personal oxygen saturation monitor. Especially important in the context of respiratory illnesses, this app helps users keep track of their oxygen levels, ensuring they remain within a healthy range. The simplicity of the app and the importance of the vital sign it monitors make it a must-have in today’s health-conscious world.

5. Sleep Cycle: Smart Alarm Clock

Thanks to Netflix (and if you’re lucky, Netflix’n’Chill), we don’t give ourselves the sleep that evolution designed us for. Sleep quality significantly impacts overall health, and the Sleep Cycle app helps users optimize their sleep. By analyzing your sleep patterns, it wakes you up during your lightest sleep phase, ensuring you start your day feeling refreshed. Its ability to track sleep quality makes it a valuable tool in personal health management.

6. StressScan: Stress & Anxiety Test

Aah!! Stress stress stress stress stress! I could write an entire chapter with just that one word repeating itself over and over again, and I’d still only be getting started. We bought into a lot of “stress” so we can buy buy buy in the hope of being happy happy happy. It’s not working. And we’re not listening. So that our Mental Health is generally literally in the rain gutter. So the smallest favor we can do ourselves is to monitor it at least. StressScan provides users with insights into their stress and anxiety levels. By analyzing factors such as heart rate variability, it gives users a clear picture of their stress levels, encouraging proactive mental health management.

Conclusion

The evolution in vital signs apps is a very convincing demonstration of technology’s power to reshape healthcare and personal wellness. These apps empower individuals to take control of their health, offering convenience and insight right at their fingertips. As we continue to witness rapid innovations in this field, the potential for even more sophisticated health monitoring and preventive care continues to  increasingly become a tangible reality. Whether it’s tracking your heart rate, monitoring your sleep, or keeping an eye on your stress levels, these apps have been indispensable tools in the journey towards optimal health and wellness in 2023, and contribute even more in 2024.