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Does blood ox work for you

My app doesn't work more than it works, very frustrating! I've tried loosening the band, tightening it, moving the watch a little lower on my wrist, etc. It MIGHT work 40% of the time and sometimes it will give a very low reading. I love the feature but it's very buggy.
 
ladytonya said:
My app doesn't work more than it works, very frustrating! I've tried loosening the band, tightening it, moving the watch a little lower on my wrist, etc. It MIGHT work 40% of the time and sometimes it will give a very low reading. I love the feature but it's very buggy.
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Did you try with opened hand laying flat with extended fingers on a table without moving ? It works a lot better for me this way.
 
tivoboy said:
Watch is new, but I seem to be getting a reading at all about 50% of the time, maybe less.. most times it says “inconclusive”.. Even if I hold the watch lightly down on the wrist. Not sure if it is me, or the watch or the function overall.
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Follow up here. In the end, I returned the AW6 since I really could not get the Sp02 sensor to work reliably at all, regardless of accuracy. Then, sometime towards the end of the year Amazon had a deal, at 350$ for the blue blue watch GPS 44mm, and I had a 30% discount coupon so I bought another one. This 2nd one, I get a result now about 90% of the time and I don’t even have to focus on keeping it upright, steady, don’t move, etc. Same bands, same procedure, it just seems to work MUCH more reliably. Not sure if the OS made specific updates to make it more consistent but at least for now this 2nd watch seems to work FAR better than the first.
 
Interesting comments with mixed feelings on the SPo2 sensor readings.
Compared to industrial grade pulseoximeters the watch, at its price point, most probably can only provide readings to facilitate decisions for you to take. At below 90% you would physically have serious breathing issues gasping for breath so your body would be the best teacher in that situation. I was diagnosed with heart failure 4 years ago and barely made it to the hospital due to my lungs being packed with fluids. That was the first time I met the pulseoximeter and next was put in the hospital!!

Still, for all its limitations it does give you a sense of security being able to monitor daily even if you see a doctor regularly like me as an outpatient.
 
I recognize that the test requires no motion and level. It seemingly should also require a fairly tight fit by the watch band. If you have a tight fit, are you failing to get a self-consistent readings (self-consistent is that it stays within a few % on different tries where the watch hasn't shifted)? I can believe it is a different matter as to how close it is to a finger pulse-ox reading.

I tried one at an Apple store a few days ago. On two tries, it said "98% This is not a real measurement." Apple store personnel have gone downhill in the last few years: they didn't even try to explain what that meant. I seriously doubt I was anywhere near 98%; 93% would be more likely for me. It didn't complain of an error but I didn't have the watch on tightly at all. I can't find that phrasing associated with Apple Watch via Google search.
 
It works for me. I sit down and calm down first. Lay my hands on my lap and the bands securely fastened and take a reading.
 
M T said:
I tried one at an Apple store a few days ago. On two tries, it said "98% This is not a real measurement." Apple store personnel have gone downhill in the last few years: they didn't even try to explain what that meant. I seriously doubt I was anywhere near 98%; 93% would be more likely for me. It didn't complain of an error but I didn't have the watch on tightly at all. I can't find that phrasing associated with Apple Watch via Google search.
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I believe it's just simulating a measuring session, which is why it displays a "not real measurement" message. When you do a real measurement, a loose band will definitely cause a "could not measure" error. You really have to stay very still for it to work.
 
Works fine on my S7 both day and night. It took 7 readings last night while I was asleep. Every time I've checked it with my finger unit it is right on the money. Also checked it at the Dr on Wed and it matched theirs too. So far no complaints..
 
I’ve been disappointed with the timing and frequency of the Blood Oxygen and Respiratory Rate measurements made by my S7. Unlike Heart Rate and many other AW “fitness” measurements, Respiratory Rate is only measured & recorded during Sleep focus. At least we can make the Blood Oxygen measurement on demand. My S7 typically records around a dozen Blood Oxygen and four dozen Respiratory Rate measurements each day. Compare that with nearly 300 Heart Rate measurements per day.

It would be nice to have a “Medical Focus” that would allow measuring things like Blood Oxygen and Breathing Rate without having to use the Sleep Focus, which basically turns the screen off. The “Medical Focus” could specify the length of time and activities (if any) required to get good measurements e.g. sitting quietly with hands on a table, laying down, etc.

GetRealBro
 
getrealbro said:
It would be nice to have a “Medical Focus” that would allow measuring things like Blood Oxygen and Breathing Rate without having to use the Sleep Focus, which basically turns the screen off.
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You don't have to turn Sleep Focus on to measure Respiratory Rate, you just need to set a Sleep Schedule, and it measures Respiratory Rate during your Sleep time, even if Sleep Focus isn't on.

As for Blood Oxygen, I'm not sure that is tied to sleep -- I've always just assumed that we aren't still for long enough to get a good measurement unless we are asleep.
 
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@ Night Spring - Thanks for those observations.

I tried setting up an additional Sleep Schedule during the day. But was told I already had a Sleep Schedule for that day — my normal Sleep Schedule at night. Have you gotten your AW to measure and record Respiratory Rate during both the day and that night? If so did the data seem reasonable?

I think you are right about Blood Oxygen being monitored all day. The export of my AW Heath data distinguishes two different sourceNames*: Blood Oxygen and xxx’s Apple Watch. And my AW does occasionally measure and record Blood Oxygen during the day all by its self.

FWIW The idea of a “Medical Focus” is to make measuring Respiratory Rate and Blood Oxygen during the day a little easier and predictable.

GetRealBro

* Interestingly - SleepAnalysis is the only other data type in my export with more than one sourceName.
 
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getrealbro said:
Have you gotten your AW to measure and record Respiratory Rate during both the day and that night?
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No, the idea hadn't occurred to me until I saw your post. I knew Sleep Focus didn't have to be on, because I tried turning it on once, didn't like how the Watch looked in sleep mode, so turned it off and never used it again. But I did set a sleep schedule, and my watch have been reporting my respiratory rates during that time. I don't actually know if the watch will measure respiratory rate if you are awake during the time you are scheduled for sleep. I'll try it tonight and report back.
 
Very informative thread!! Thanks for your replies. This S7 is my first AW and I'm way behind on the learning curve, but I love this thing. My wife passed away and I'm now an old man that lives alone and feels like I bought my self a roommate.
 
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Night Spring said:
No, the idea hadn't occurred to me until I saw your post. I knew Sleep Focus didn't have to be on, because I tried turning it on once, didn't like how the Watch looked in sleep mode, so turned it off and never used it again. But I did set a sleep schedule, and my watch have been reporting my respiratory rates during that time. I don't actually know if the watch will measure respiratory rate if you are awake during the time you are scheduled for sleep. I'll try it tonight and report back.
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@getrealbro
So I tried extending my sleep schedule into hours when I am awake, and the watch did take some respiratory rate measurements during that time. But it only does it when I'm sitting still. Is random measurements of respiratory rate during the day while you happen to be sitting still useful for anything?
 
They’re probably not accurate as apple have only rally advertised respiratory rate measurement as something the watch does when you’re sleeping
 
@Night Spring Thanks for running the test. A few random respiratory readings during the day aren’t very useful for me. And as andrewstirling posted, they may not be very accurate. From what I’ve read, the AW measures the respiratory rate using the accelerometers. So it probably requires near zero movement other than breathing. Getting a good Blood Oxygen reading requires near zero movement too.

I’d still like to have a “Medical Focus” that would allow sitting still during the day and taking Blood Oxygen, Respiratory Rate, etc. over the same time interval so they can be correlated. For example, during this short time interval my Heart Rate was xx, my Respiratory Rate was yy, resulting in a Blood Oxygen of zz.

GetRealBro
 
getrealbro said:
@Night Spring Thanks for running the test. A few random respiratory readings during the day aren’t very useful for me. And as andrewstirling posted, they may not be very accurate. From what I’ve read, the AW measures the respiratory rate using the accelerometers. So it probably requires near zero movement other than breathing. Getting a good Blood Oxygen reading requires near zero movement too.

I’d still like to have a “Medical Focus” that would allow sitting still during the day and taking Blood Oxygen, Respiratory Rate, etc. over the same time interval so they can be correlated. For example, during this short time interval my Heart Rate was xx, my Respiratory Rate was yy, resulting in a Blood Oxygen of zz.

GetRealBro
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Since Apple specifically notes that the Blood Oxygen measurement is not a medical device, I don’t think your desired Focus would have any chance to be called “Medical Focus”.
 
getrealbro said:
I’d still like to have a “Medical Focus” that would allow sitting still during the day and taking Blood Oxygen, Respiratory Rate, etc. over the same time interval so they can be correlated
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Why do you want a Focus? It seems like you just want to be able to take Respiratory Rate measurements on demand. Or maybe you just want an automation where the watch takes all the measurements you want one after the other. Focus is more for controlling notifications during a set period, not for automating tasks.
 
So the only things wrong with “Medical Focus” is two words - medical and focus :) Seriously, thanks for pointing out the terminology error.

The real missing piece is the inability to take Respiratory Rate measurements on demand, like we can with Blood Oxygen now. If we had that capability, the measurements could probably be automated via shortcuts.

GetRealBro
 
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