Vertigo apps

There are a variety of apps for vertigo. These apps may have the following features:

• Information and education: Knowing about vertigo, which exercises are suitable and what to expect can help you manage your condition better.
• Instructions on how to perform exercises: A few different exercises may help relieve vertigo, depending on the cause of the vertigo. Typically, these exercises are considered either vestibular rehabilitation therapy or part of a canalith repositioning procedure. 
• Symptom tracking: Tracking and monitoring your symptoms can be helpful to share with your healthcare provider. It can also help you establish what makes your symptoms worse (triggers) and things that help you ease your symptoms.

How to use vertigo apps safely

Do (✔)

• Always use vertigo apps under the supervision of a healthcare provider so they can guide you on whether the app is suitable for your needs and direct you to which exercises are appropriate for your particular type of vertigo.
• Use an app to keep track of your symptoms as part of your management plan. Use graphs and reporting for a discussion with your healthcare provider.
• If you experience an episode of vertigo, it can be very helpful for your specialist team to see a recording of your eye movements; therefore recording your eye movements on your phone during a vertigo attack can be useful for your vestibular therapist or professional.
• Be aware that some exercises or manoeuvres shown in apps can cause dizziness and vertigo, so supervision is advised.
• Be careful when reading information on discussion boards or group chat rooms. (Some apps have interactive features, such as discussion boards or group chat rooms, where users can share their experiences. Be cautious because in most cases these aren't monitored by a health professional so the advice or suggestions may not be safe or effective practice.)
• Know when to seek help.

Don’t (✘)

• Rely on apps to make a diagnosis of your condition.
• Perform exercises or manoeuvres without first seeking medical and professional diagnosis and instruction on which exercises in which app to use.
• Make changes to your medicines based on the recommendations from the app.

Here are a few vertigo apps that Healthify has reviewed

App	Description	Clinical review
BPPV Relief app	An app mainly for healthcare providers who work with patients who have vertigo due to benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). Patients can also use the app in accordance with guidance and instruction by their physician. Education and information. Sounds, graphs and reporting.  Available from the App Store and Google Play. Cost: $12.99 (one off). Read more about BPPV Relief app.
Positional Vertigo	Education and information. Reminders. Available from Google Play and iTunes. Cost: Free. Read more about Positional Vertigo.
Vertigo Coach	Reminders. Contains a space to log medications (for historical reference) which might be helpful for tracking any changes in symptoms. Available from Google Play and iTunes. Cost: Free. Read more about Vertigo Coach.
VertiGo Exercise (AR)	Most features in this app do not work. The app has not been updated since June 2017. Read more about VertiGo Exercise (AR)
Vertex: Vertigo Exercises	The app claims its intended purpose is to demonstrate vertigo treatment exercises, using the phone’s inbuilt accelerometer to help instruct the user through head exercises. Insufficient information has been given in the app about its intended purpose for exercises that may help with BPPV rather than other vertigo disorders. Read more about Vertex: Vertigo Exercises