“An apple a day keep the doctor away”, or so they say. What if you could replace the apple with something else and see great results for your health?
It’s not every day that you hear about a medical breakthrough, considering an amazing cure may come after years and years of research, trial and errors. Or maybe you just don’t have the time to keep up with the news in the industry. This is why compiled a list of innovative results and gadgets that made their entrance with a bang in the health industry.
- Migraine pain, out the window
It seems the FDA approved two gadgets for migraines: Cefaly, a band that’s worn across your forehead for 20 minutes daily, and SpringTMS, a device you hold to the back of your head at the onset of pain. Both work by stimulating certain nerves deep in the head, using electrical signals (in the case of Cefaly) or magnetic energy (for the SpringTMS). In the initial trial, 68% reported relief when they turned on the electrode during a headache, and of that group, over 80% had fewer episodes. - A watch as a personal health monitor
The Apple Watch 2, when used with your iPhone, can log your steps and even your heart rate. But this we already know. The rumour is Apple is looking for biomedical engineers with a background in “medical, health, wellness and/or fitness sensors, devices and applications”. The team working now on the new device includes scientists like system design engineer Nathan Clark, who has a patent for a device that separates cells and Jay Mung, who worked on sensor algorithms for Medtronic’s continuous glucose monitoring systems. Available from March 2016, the watch will have health features beyond a simple fitness sensor device and will be less reliant on the Iphone.
- A lighter cancer treatment
Scientists are finally finding success with a more selective approach: immunotherapy. These treatments harness your body’s natural defences to beat cancer back. They have discovered that cancer cells evade your immune system by putting it into overdrive, causing it to tire out and give up. The new drugs interrupt the cycle so your body can fight, (according to the explanation of J. Leonard Lichtenfeld, MD, deputy chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society). Treatments for cancers of the kidney, lung and pancreas could be up next. - Smart pregnancy test
An upgraded pregnancy stick from Clearblue not only tells you if you’re pregnant but also gives you an idea of how far along you might be, via an extra strip that measures the concentration (not just the presence) of human chorionic gonadotropin in your urine.
- Virtual reality to cure depression
A new immersive virtual reality therapy could help people with depression to be less critical and more compassionate towards themselves, reducing depressive symptoms, finds a new study from University College London (UCL) and ICREA-University of Barcelona.
This new therapy, previously tested by healthy volunteers, was used by 15 depressed patients aged 23-61. Patients in the study wore a virtual reality headset to see from the perspective of a life-size ‘avatar’ or virtual body. Seeing this virtual body in a mirror moving in the same way as their own body typically produces the illusion that this is their own body. While embodied in an adult avatar, participants were trained to express compassion towards a distressed virtual child.
So, returning to our one apple a day, would you change it for a head band, a watch or virtual reality? Should we? Let us know what you think.
The PR Medical Events Team