When he wasn't feeling well, Travis Chalmers' Apple Watch alerted him that he had atrial fibrillation, a heart rhythm disorder that causes the heart to speed up and beat irregularly.
Apple Watch, equipped with a heart rate sensor, has helped save many lives. In Nova Scotia (Canada), she recently helped a firefighter who had a heart attack, the site reported Global news.
It all started when Travis Chalmers, 44, felt a “hot sensation” in his chest and a severe headache while playing hockey with his son. Thinking it was the flu or a cold or that his symptoms were related to seasonal allergies, he didn't worry.
Sudden diagnosis
However, Travis Chalmers' condition deteriorated over time. “Half an hour later, I lay next to my daughter and my heart was racing,” he explains. Then his Apple Watch alerts him that he has atrial fibrillation, an arrhythmia that causes the heart to race and beat irregularly.
This disorder can also increase the risk of stroke and heart failure. His heart continued to beat irregularly, so the firefighter headed to the nearest hospital. Then the doctors told him that he was having a heart attack, and that one of his arteries was completely blocked.
The diagnosis surprised Travis Chalmers given his active lifestyle and little family history of heart problems. The Apple Watch was able to detect these irregularities compared to his usual heart rate because he had worn it for a “long period of time.”
In fact, the more it is worn, the more it knows the wearer's heart rate and the more it is able to recognize irregularities. If he is out in the woods, the firefighter must now take medication every day for the rest of his life.
Speaking to Global News, Halifax cardiologist Siusti McIntyre says, “Patients are now arriving with information from their connected devices,” which may be relevant, noting that connected watches regularly produce false positives.
“This is why we should not base our decisions on the watch, but this can push us to explore more ways using technology at the medical level,” she adds, calling on patients not to rely solely on technology to determine whether they need vision. doctor.
