The next time you reach for the Aspirin to deal with a pounding headache, you might want to consider reaching for your iPhone too.
Dalhousie informatics student, Mike Wheaton, has been working with the Centre for Research and Family Health at the IWK Health Centre to create an iPhone application for severe headache sufferers. The app is part of a project targeted at young adults aged 14-28, who have regular debilitating headaches.
A diary of sorts
Referred to as Wireless Headache Intervention, the app allows users to keep an electronic diary of their headaches, tracking data such as sleep patterns, diet, external conditions, and headache duration. The app does not require a minimum input of information, offering maximum flexibility for the wide range of users. “Headaches are very individual,” says Mr. Wheaton.
All data is stored confidentially on a central database at the IWK, but the information is gathered as an incentive for people to keep track of their headaches, rather than for analytical purposes.
The IWK is currently looking for 100-200 people to participate in a headache study. The goal is not to find a permanent cure, but to see how using a journal lowers the recurrence of headaches. Mr. Wheaton explains that “recognizing headaches and when they go away” is a big step toward becoming aware of how habits can be changed to prevent them. “Headache sufferers are often given painkillers without knowing the cause of the pain,” he adds.
Supporting others
Mr. Wheaton is eager to continue developing the app’s social network because, he says, “the social aspect is helpful for younger people who need to know there are others who suffer the same symptoms.” Those working on the study hope to expand the online resources, offering step-by-step meditation and relaxation treatments, as well as explanatory material about the science of headaches.
Mr. Wheaton joined the headache app project for one of his three co-op terms, originally working with co-op student Joseph Howse who is now a Dal alumnus. Working on an iPhone app was a new experience for Mr. Wheaton, who says it was a “great hands-on experience” that required practice in producing a user-friendly system. Mr. Wheaton is still working with the IWK Health Centre part-time and is in his fourth-year of study at Dalhousie.
Anyone interested in participating in the study and trying out the app can visit crfh.ca/whi.