Targeting Diseases with Wearables

Compulsive behavior, chronic diseases, neurologic disorders, there are many diseases that can affect a person. Some of them are less common or less known by the population, but that doesn’t mean they are less important or that we should be less aware of them.

Nowadays and with the advances of science we can target and treat some of these diseases and help the lives of those who suffer from them.

Shade is a UV Sensor to fight against Lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system becomes hyperactive and attacks normal healthy tissue. This results in symptoms such as inflammation, swelling, and damage to joints, skin, kidneys, blood, the heart, and lungs.  So how is Lupus related to sun exposure? Patients with Lupus experience photosensitivity or unusual sensitivity to sunlight. This can trigger symptoms such as skin rashes, itching, and burning. Excess sun exposure can also cause flares in systemic lupus, triggering symptoms such as joint pain, weakness, and fatigue. Shade helps patients to accurately track sun exposure. The UV sensor paired with your smartphone measure and manage radiation exposure telling them when they had enough.

Steadiglove is a battery-free stabilizing glove that reduces hand tremors for all those who live with Essential Tremor and Parkinson’s Disease. It uses a smart fluid designed to instantly provide instant and equal resistance to hand tremors. Used in Earthquake-proof building design, smart fluid dampers are unmatched in their simplicity, size, adaptiveness, and safety. Shaky hands are commonly referred to as a hand tremor. A hand tremor isn’t life-threatening, but it can make daily tasks difficult. It can also be an early warning sign of some neurological and degenerative conditions.

Compulsive behavior? Bad habits? Habitaware with its smart wearable bracelet Liv is here to help you. Most of the time we are not even aware of these habits, they are some subconscious behaviors that we might stop doing if we were aware of them. Liv monitors your movements and sends you a subtle alert when you may be doing something compulsive, like pulling out your hairs, biting your nails or picking at your skin, to give some examples. Liv has built-in motion sensors that can detect movements of your arms. The bracelet connects via Bluetooth to an app on your smartphone, where you can log the behavior. Liv also sends a gentle buzz that you can feel on your wrist as a reminder that you may be doing something that is dubbed Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors, or BFRBs. Liv can also send you a text message when a high-stress time is approaching. The app suggests positive strategies, such as timely tips on how you can replace the behavior with a healthier one. It looks discreet, just like a fitness activity tracker. It subtly vibrates when you do an undesired motion.

Takeda Launches Wearable Digital Technology Pilot Program to Support Patients and Healthcare Providers with Inflammatory Bowel Disease Management. Takeda, a pharmaceutical company, announced the launch of a pilot digital technology program to support patients and physicians with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This pilot program will allow patients with IBD to track their symptoms and lifestyle factors with wearable watch technology. The data will be collected and translated into reports intended to help enhance patient-physician interaction with the goal of improved care.

Different diseases with different solutions to treat them, the healthcare market is moving towards the future in terms of finding ways to help people live a better life.

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