Manage Stress and Keep Symptoms at Bay

Managing a chronic condition can be a daunting task during the frenzied pace of the holidays. However, for patients suffering from Atrial Fibrillation (Afib) keeping triggers at bay could be a matter of life or death.

According to Medstar Health, Afib, a type of heart rhythm disorder, affects roughly 3 million Americans and raises the risk of stroke, heart failure and death. Yet, patients can take easy steps to avoid these dire circumstances even when busy and on the move.

No one knows this better than Get Real Health CEO, Robin Wiener. Wiener has dealt with Afib for years and recently had a pacemaker procedure to help manage it. “I definitely can feel my heart reacting to my stress levels and activity. At hectic times like the holidays, I have to remember to slow down, exercise and listen to my body.”

Studies indicate that stress can worsen Afib symptoms as well as have a negative effect on overall health. Wiener and Afib patients like her, can use a mobile app to track blood pressure, diet and exercise as well as sleep and mood patterns to monitor stress and life-style changes.

“We use real-world experience to build our product line,” says Wiener. “I can track nearly anything through our widgets and journaling function. More importantly, my doctor can see that same data in real time. That functionality is invaluable when dealing with a chronic disease.”

And Wiener’s regimen is exactly what doctors recommend.  New studies show that digital medicine—a combination of remote monitoring, behavior modification, and personalized intervention overseen by the patients’ own doctors—can improve outcomes in some of the most costly and tough-to-manage categories such as diabetes, heart disease and lung disease.

You might not be able to take the stress out of the holidays, but Get Real Health’s product line ensures that stress won’t take its toll on patients this season.