Avoid and track pollution and foods that would cause you discomfort – or worse
More people than ever are experiencing allergies, ranging from seasonal sniffles to severe food reactions. This rise is likely due to a complex interplay of factors, including changes in our environment and food production methods.
Your iPhone can help protect you against harm, by allowing you to track allergens and monitor your body’s responses. That way, you can be warned about airborne allergies when you head out, or keep tabs on food-related allergies and triggers, in a bid to recognize patterns.
Here are our favorite apps for doing so.
Air Matters (free)
Many weather forecast apps provide air quality information – although it tends to lurk deep within the app. Air Matters flips things around, devoting the majority of its interface to such data, with weather forecasts as an aside.
Which allergens are detailed depends on location – in the US, you get a generic ‘pollen’ figure, whereas in Europe pollen is broken down by type. But regardless of where you’re based, you’ll see a huge risk indicator that outlines whether it’s safe to venture outside without protection.
Scroll down further and you’ll find yet more information: advice regarding children, ventilation and masks; recent historical data; upcoming forecasts; a scrollable map. Add in Apple Watch support and the means to save multiple locations and you’ve a vital tool for monitoring air quality and airborne allergens.
Soosee (free or $13.99/£12.99)
Soosee attempts to guard you against ingesting ‘surprise’ ingredients, by acting as a shield against allergens.
You kick things off by tapping the ‘Allergies’ button and stating which food groups affect you. Tap any of them to explore the full terms list. Once you’re done, use the ‘Scanner’ tab and point your camera at ingredient lists. Soosee will flag potential threats.
The app is also a lifesaver for globetrotters. You can switch the scanner between 17 languages, and it has built-in ‘travel cards’ with pre-loaded phrases to bridge communication gaps in stores and restaurants.
Soosee isn’t foolproof – you’ll still need to double-check its output. But it’s nonetheless a powerful tool for anyone with food allergies and intolerances, acting as a fast and reliable filter – especially when navigating a maze of unfamiliar languages.
Allergy Tracker° (free)
Living with allergies can be tough, with multiple triggers and fluctuating symptoms. Allergy Tracker° by Adam Cziko helps you make sense of it all.
Instead of being restrictive and prescriptive, this app personalizes everything. You define symptoms, triggers and treatments, and note their presence – and severity for symptoms – on specific days. Notes can be added to each day’s input, for added context.
You can peruse your daily diary at any time, or view your data collated into weekly, monthly and yearly charts, potentially helping you uncover patterns. And there’s no lock-in either – you can export your data across custom date ranges to PDF or CSV.
This app feels like real thought has gone into the needs of those who’ll use it. Bonus points for it being free, but its unmatched flexibility would have resulted in a recommendation even with a subscription attached.
Also consider…
mySymptoms Food Diary ($7.99/£7.99, depicted above) helps you to keep a detailed diary of food intake and symptoms. Over time, patterns may emerge to help you combat allergies, and PDF/CSV export ensures your data isn’t locked in.
Belly Boi (free or $2.99/£2.99) is an IBS tracker, for monioring your belly and mood. Its bold, simple interface makes it ideal for anyone whose food allergies affect their gut and mental state.
My Pollen Forecast (free) provides a glanceable map-based pollen tracker for the UK and contiguous USA. Bold forecasts make spotting danger simple, and you can track reactions in the diary. An ad-free version ($3.99/£3.99) also exists.
Carrot Weather (free + IAP) in its paid incarnation is great for AQI and pollen tracking. You can edit layouts and select sources with the best data. Two – Tomorrow.io and AccuWeather – also have their own apps. They’re less refined than Carrot. However, they’re fine if you want something that’s free.