7 apps that could benefit your health

SAN DIEGO, Cali. – You text, you download, you play, but did you know the apps on your phone can improve your health? 

Johnson & Johnson recently launched the free app Care4Today Mobile Health Manager to remind patients when to take their meds.

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"Over 50 percent of patients who suffer from chronic illness have to take their medications," explained Veronica Barajas, Technology Manager, Janssen Healthcare Innovation.

Users enter their daily drugs and doses and the app sends a reminder. Caregivers can also receive an alert if a dose is missed.

Another app, the American Heart Association's Pocket First Aid & CPR walks you through common first-aid scenarios like choking, burns, and bites.

Symple Symptom Tracker lets people with chronic diseases record their symptoms and drug side effects.

AVVA, developed by doctors at Stanford, helps cancer patients keep track of their appointments, procedures, and treatments.

The American Academy of Pediatrics' KidsDoc helps parents analyze their child's symptoms and decide when to seek emergency help.

If you're looking for fitness motivation, GymPact lets you make a deal with other users. If you live up to your goal, you make money. If you don't, you pay.

Also, with Fooducate you scan items at the grocery store and it will tell you just how healthy they are.

Almost all of these are good for iPhones and Androids, but some are only good for iPhones.

The American Heart Association's Pocket First Aid and CPR and the American Academy of Pediatrics' KidsDoc costs $1.99, but all the rest are free

Additional Information On 7 Health Apps:

CARE4TODAY: Care4Today Mobile Health Manager, version 2.0, is a free mobile health app. This mobile health manager acts as a reminder to those who take medication. It can help support and encourage you to manage your health. For every person that uses the app, Johnson and Johnson donates five cents a day to one of three charities: the American Diabetes Association, AIDS United or Save the Children. The app can be used on almost any mobile phone with text message capabilities or via a website. (Source: Veronica Barajas and mhm.care4today.com/mhm-web/welcome.do)

THE POCKET FIRST AID AND CPR: This app was created by the American Heart Association to provide users with instructions to give CPR. This app includes: a user friendly experience, 34 videos and 46 high-resolution illustrations, search functionality, and emergency content. It is now available for Apple iPhone and Google Android and costs $1.99 (Source: heart.org/HEARTORG/CPRAndECC/CommunityCPRandFirstAid/CommunityProducts/Apps---Pocket-First-Aid-CPR_UCM_308819_Article.jsp#)

SYMPLE SYMPTOM TRACKER & HEALTH DIARY: This app helps people gather information about a condition before you visit the doctor. Since doctors are very busy, and appointments can seem rushed at time, this app records the symptoms you are feeling at the time so you can share them with your doctor. Examples of things that are beneficial to record are: holistic therapies, medications and supplements, diet choices, and exercise levels. It is a free app and available for Apple iPhone. (Source: sympleapp.com)

AVVA: Avva is a free app for women who have breast cancer. This app helps patients through diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship. This app is used as a map for patients to educate themselves about social, emotional, and educational elements of the disease. It is available for Apple iPhone. (Source: avvahealth.com)

KIDSDOC: This application is helpful to parents who have a sick child. If your child has a sore throat, rash, or head injury, this app will guide you through the steps of what to do if you are unable to make it into a doctor's office.  KidsDoc features symptom care guides, symptom decision chart to find recommended action, and offers self-care advice to care for the child. It is available for Apple iPhone and Google Android and costs $1.99. (Source: healthychildren.org/English/tips-tools/Symptom-Checker/Pages/KidsDoc-Symptom-Checker-App.aspx)

GYMPACT: GymPact is a free app for Apple iPhone that tracks your commitments to the gym. This application allows you to check in when you get to the gym, track outdoor workouts, and rewards you with cash if you meet your goal. If you do not meet your goal with gym pact, then you are expected to pay up. (Source: gym-pact.com)

FOODUCATE: Fooducate is a free application for Apple iPhone and Google Android that scans the barcode on food labels and rates them on an A-F scale, "A" being the healthiest and "F" being the least healthy. Fooducate also provides alternatives to the food product you have scanned as well as the ingredients that make the food good or bad for you. (Source: fooducate.com)