menopause tracking apps

In today’s digital age, there’s an app for almost everything, including menopause tracking. These apps aim to provide support, information, and assistance in managing the symptoms and changes associated with perimenopause and menopause.

In this blog, we’ll delve into the benefits and also the risks of using menopause tracking apps and explore some popular options.

What to track?

1. Your menstrual cycle. This is THE KEY feature of perimenopause (your cycle CHANGES length, flow and duration) and menopause (you haven’t had a period in 12 months). Your cycle reflects the hormonal changes happening in your body, which in term influences the likely symptoms and solutions that might be relevant for you. Perimenopause starts when your cycle length is out by 7 days, although hormonal symptoms can start before this in many women. Women using the combined contraceptive pill or Mirena IUD may be unaware of their natural cycle.
2. Your symptoms. Hormone receptors are found in cells all over your body so symptoms can be widespread. Some symptoms are closely related to hormone changes and some less so.  For example, hot flushes are and libido is much less so. Menopause doesn’t occur in a vacuum – the rest of your life and health matter. If you slept poorly before, hormones may make this worse but not be the only cause nor the only solution.
3. Timing of symptoms within your cycle. This is really important when your period hasn’t changed length yet or in early perimenopause where it is only out by 7 days. For example, hot flushes around your period or worsening PMS in the 1-2 weeks before your period may be related to lower levels of progesterone but not necessarily lower levels of oestrogen. Flushes occurring daily are more likely to relate to low oestrogen, becoming more obvious as your period starts to skip.

Note – most symptoms can occur across any stage of the menopause transition so symptoms are only a guide as to your stage.

Benefits of Menopause Tracking Apps:

1. Symptom Management: Menopause tracking apps allow users to record and monitor symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats, mood swings, and irregular periods. By tracking these symptoms, users can identify patterns and triggers, enabling them to manage them more effectively. Downloadable reports also make it easier to prepare for a doctor’s visit and communicate what you are experiencing.
2. Personalised Insights: Many menopause tracking apps offer personalised insights and recommendations based on the data entered by the user. These insights may include lifestyle changes, dietary recommendations, and coping strategies tailored to individual needs.
3. Education and Information: Menopause tracking apps often provide valuable educational resources about menopause, including articles, videos, and tips from healthcare professionals. This information empowers users to make informed decisions about their health and well-being during this transitional phase.
4. Supportive Community: Some menopause tracking apps feature online communities where users can connect with others going through similar experiences. These communities provide a supportive space for sharing stories, advice, and encouragement, reducing feelings of isolation and loneliness often associated with menopause.

Downsides of Menopause Tracking Apps

1. Privacy Concerns: Like any health-related app, menopause tracking apps collect sensitive personal data, including symptoms, menstrual patterns, and mood fluctuations. Users should be cautious about sharing this information and ensure that the app they choose complies with data protection regulations which differ between countries. For example, all healthcare data in Australia needs to be stored in Australia and this may not be the case in overseas apps.
2. Accuracy of Information: While many menopause tracking apps offer valuable insights and recommendations, the accuracy of this information can vary and may not apply to you personally.
3. Increase the impact of symptoms: Some people are prone to health related anxiety and constant monitoring can increase their distress. Repetitive prompting can also INCREASE the experience of a symptom through hyper vigilance and drawing attention to it. Research in depression shows that asking someone about their mood too regularly actually worsens their mood! Many apps send daily notifications – if you are asked daily about whether your skin crawls, it starts to!
4. Advice from non-medical sources within app communities. Just because a treatment worked for someone, doesnt mean it is right for you. Seek medical advice for your personal situation.

We suggest you use a menopause tracking app to-

1. track your cycle
2. monitor the type and severity of your symptoms and whether they are cyclic (eg track 2 full months if your period is regular or just starting to change)
3. communicate with your healthcare professional
4. monitor response to treatment
5. learn, especially about non-medication treatments like CBT, meditation, nutrition, sleep and physical activity.

Menopause Tracking Apps available in Australia

1. Health and Her
   • Features: Symptom tracking, health assessments, menopause encyclopedia, community forum.
   • We love the little notifications to breath or flip some CBT cards. Spend the time to set these up according to your personal needs.
   • Cost: Free although you can purchase supplements through the app.
   • Health and Her
2. Balance Menopause Support
   • Features: Symptom tracking, personalised insights, educational resources, community support.
   • Cost: Free / $7.99 a month premium. Redirects outside app to paid medical services (UK only) and online education.
   • Strong references to UK medications and healthcare system (NHS).
   • Balance
3. Caria
   • Features: Symptom tracking, mood tracking, lifestyle recommendations, expert advice. Lovely clean interface and simple to navigate.
   • Cost: free / $5.99 a month premium.
   • Uses generic names for medications (but with US spelling).
   • Caria

There are some other great apps with similar functions but not available in Australia (such as Stella, Midday, Evernow) because they include medical services which are tightly regulated.

There are also other ways to track symptoms. The Australia Menopause Society ams_symptom_score_card is a simple way to communicate to your doctor and monitor your progress. At viv Health, we ask you to complete regular symptom checks to monitor treatment response and keep an eye on any new symptoms that require attention.