Anemia is a common blood disorder that is caused by low iron. It affects 43 percent of children, 38 percent of non-pregnant women and 29 percent of pregnant women. If left untreated, then anemia can lead to heart problems and fatigue. Fortunately, anemia is easy to treat once it is detected.
In the past, the only way to diagnose anemia was with a blood test. Many low-income people do not get treated for anemia because they cannot afford health care. Low-income people are also more likely to suffer from anemia. There is now an app that can diagnose anemia without a blood sample.
The app can detect anemia by analyzing parts of the palm, tongue or fingernail. If the area is pale, then this could be a sign of anemia. The app was created by Wilbur Lam and a team of researchers at Emory University. Fingernail color can be a good indicator of anemia because there are no pigment-producing cells in the nails.
You will need to take a picture of your nail with the app. It will then analyze the color of your nail and tell you whether you have anemia. There has already been a study done to test the effectiveness of the app.
The study involved 337 people who had a variety of conditions. It also had 72 healthy people. The researchers found that the app is not as good as a blood test. However, it is just as good as the FDA diagnostic tools on the market today.
The researchers stated that the app should only be used for screening purposes. People should not use the app to diagnose themselves. The researchers stated that they plan on conducting more research in order to test the effectiveness of the app. They plan on introducing the app globally.
