Did the Apple Watch Save my Life?

[Southern Dad]

I wear my Apple Watch Series 3 Nike LTE nearly 24 hours a day. I do have to charge it for an hour. A week ago, I started getting alerts that my pulse was high. Some of them were really high. At first, I questioned the accuracy of the pulse readings from the Apple Watch. This was because the alerts were coming not when I was doing exercise or any activity. I was watching television when an alert of 141 bpm came. I was driving home from work and got an alert of 135 bpm. Then sitting at my desk at work I got one for 157 bpm.

That was enough to send me to the doctor's office. My doctor, being a technology person, reviewed the readings from my apps. I was hooked up to an EKG machine, then some other tests were done. End result? Sinus Tachycardia. A bit more testing will be done this week including 24 hour EKG harness but I would not have known there was a problem if not for those alerts on my Apple Watch. Has anyone else got those warnings about high pulse rate?

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I ordered a product from AliveCor called the KardiaMobile. I searched and found two old threads about AliveCor's other product which is an Apple Watch band that takes an EKG. I may get one of those in the future. Has anyone in the community owned or used one?

 

[Southern Dad]

They have super fast shipping. I ordered it Thursday and it arrived today. I did my first test. It took just 30 seconds to complete. The results? Sinus Tachycardia. How did that doctor visit cost on Friday?

 

[rugmankc]

Lots of stories like yours out there. Good you found out about the TachyCardia. Hope things work out.

On my S0, I don't get immediate alerts. They may be hours old. My spikes are usually when I first start to check my pulse. Or, just turn watch on. I think they are false and the watch is just trying to get started on reading the pulse. I have PVC's. PreMature Ventricular Contractions due to 2 heart attacks and weakened pumping function. I think if it picks one of those up, it throws off the pulse measurement in the beginning. Not sure.

I also have TachyCardia. But, it is SupraVentricular Tachycardia. SVT. May need a Defibrillator. ICD.

When they tested me, I wore a ZIO Patch for one week. Liked that better than just one day. Think they got a better idea of how often the high heart rates repeated.

Am waiting till the S4 comes out to see if it offers anything important to me over S3. If not, will get the S3.

I too have read about the other accessories you mentioned. And, may look into them.

Good luck on your testing---

 

[kjmff5]

Sinus tachycardia is nothing to be alarmed for. That just means your heart was going at a fast rate, but was in “sinus rhythm” which is normal. Whenever your watch gives you a warning, you should always correlate it with palpating your pulse manually. Count your pulse for 30 seconds, times it by 2 and that’ll give you your heart beats per minute. The fact that you had it in the doctors office likely was just anxiety about what was happening. If you’ll have any rhythm issues, you’ll also feel it with palpitations. Hopefully, this was all just a false positive.

SVT is dangerous. But SVT is heart rates sustained over 200 without beat to beat variation.

Hopefully all your testing reveals you’re healthy!

 

[steveh552]

I got my girlfriend a series 3 for her birthday and not long after she was getting alerts like yours often. When she went for a check up she mentioned it to the doctors, showed the app and they sent her to a cardiologist who said she has the same issue as you.

Bet Apple watches are making docs a lot of money but I have read where it has alerted to
A problem and saved some lives.

 

[matrix07]

They have super fast shipping. I ordered it Thursday and it arrived today. I did my first test. It took just 30 seconds to complete. The results? Sinus Tachycardia. How did that doctor visit cost on Friday?

Wow! That’s quite an accurate assessment from the app.

Would love to buy this for my mom.

 

[Southern Dad]

Wow! That’s quite an accurate assessment from the app.

Would love to buy this for my mom.

The unclassified assessment is from the app, the actual diagnosis came from a board certified technician. Your first one is analyzed for free. The app does some analysis but not as in depth as the technician.

You can opt to send your reading to their technician or cardiologist for a fee. However you always have option to email your reading to yourself or your doctor, for free.

 

[matrix07]

The unclassified assessment is from the app, the actual diagnosis came from a board certified technician. Your first one is analyzed for free. The app does some analysis but not as in depth as the technician.

You can opt to send your reading to their technician or cardiologist for a fee. However you always have option to email your reading to yourself or your doctor, for free.

$9 is very alright.

 

[Southern Dad]

It’s worth it to me. I’ve sent several EKG to my doctor from this device and app. She says they are dead on.