9 Ways (Through Apps) Your Smartphone Could Save Your Life

Everyone is hating on cell phones nowadays as a health risk. Be it texting during driving, or potentially causing cancer.

Well, guess what? It's still an incredible piece of technology… and could totally save your life!

Here are 9 ways it could do just that:

ZocDoc

You can quickly search for physicians and dentists in many major U.S. markets. After you read the reviews and make your choice, you can then book an appointment—no phone calls needed. Free; Android, BlackBerry, iPhone

Gazelle

Recommended by Men’s Health urology advisor Larry Lipshultz, M.D., Gazelle can store your medical records for later viewing, log your Quest Diagnostics lab results, and help you remember medication names and doses. Free; Android, BlackBerry, iPhone

Heart Disease Risk Calculator

Need a reality check to nudge you off the sofa or away from the fast-food fries? Use the Heart Disease Risk Calculator to estimate your odds of having a heart attack, stroke, or heart failure within the next 10 years. It can’t replace a doctor, but it can help encourage healthy habits. Free, iPhone

Medscape

Is it okay to take aspirin with your cholesterol prescription? Find out with Medscape, an app that tracks drug interactions and provides safety data on more than 8,000 drugs. The reference section, which features medical news and info on some 4,000 diseases and conditions, is the “best out there,” says Adam Cifu, M.D., an associate professor of medicine at the University of Chicago medical center. Oh, and if your medicine cabinet is empty, fill it with the 20 Best Medicines for Men. Free; Android, BlackBerry, iPhone

SportsInjuryClinic

SportsInjuryClinic has the lowdown on more than 100 different sports-related injuries. Compare symptoms, receive rehab info, and watch YouTube treatment videos, a favorite feature of Moshe Lewis, M.D., chief of physical medicine and rehabilitation at California Pacific Medical Center. Just make sure you clear any new exercises with your doctor first. $3, iPhone

My Last Cigarette

Resist! My Last Cigarette reminds you how much cash you’re saving and how much you’ve increased your life expectancy. It also provides motivational messages—which, a British study says, may increase your chances of being smoke-free at the 6-month mark. $1, iPhone

Instant Heart Rate

Put your finger over your smartphone’s camera, and the Instant Heart Rate app measures yours in a matter of seconds. It’s highly accurate as well, says Dr. Lewis. Free; Android, iPhone

MelApp

Thanks to sophisticated pattern-recognition technology and a Johns Hopkins image database, MelApp can help assess your skin cancer risk. Just snap a photo of a new or questionable mole with your smartphone's camera, and the app will match it against the database. Your next step: Follow up with a dermatologist. $2, iPhone

Allergy Caddy

Allergy Caddy helps you avoid triggers at more than 30 restaurant chains by consulting the chains’ public allergy data, so you don't have to. $2, iPhone

Awesome!

Love your smartphone — it's pretty much a miracle that it exists. Imagine showing people it back in 1950 — heads would explode!

… Though it's weird that the list made no mention of being able to call 911 from anywhere, and also the pepper-spray variant case in the pic above!

Ha!

Stay healthy, guys!

[Image via AP Images.]

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