"There's a bug going around", you hear that a lot this time of year. The problem is "the bug" or minor medical malady could be anything from eating bad chicken to full blown flu. How do you know the likelihood that you've been exposed to some kind of infectious illness that could seriously sideline you or your family?

A new smartphone app called Sickweather could provide that information at the touch of a button. The app, available for Apple and Android platforms, compiles medical information from your local area and displays to you what the most common ailments happen to be.

It's also a great tool for those who are about to travel. Perhaps you do want to get that flu shot before you spend a week in a city where that illness has reached epidemic proportions.

Another advantage of the Sickweather app is the symptom checker. The application gives descriptions of symptoms associated with ailments in your locale. This might aid you in self-treatment or help you provide better information when you visit your healthcare provider. Doctors love it when you self-diagnose using the Internet, just kidding they hate it.

I have the Sickweather app on my phone and I have found it to be a handy tool to have in my electronic tool belt. It's easy to use, simple to navigate, and the information is about as real-time as you can get. So, if you're concerned about sickness for yourself or your family you might want to give Sickweather a try.

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