I have a medical condition that impacts blood flow to my organs, especially when I’m hot or changing my posture. This leads to sudden changes in heart rate and blood sugar, and in some cases fainting. Luckily, other people have been around during episodes that require hospitalization. But both I and my husband travel a lot for work, and I need a device that will detect when I’ve had a dangerous drop in heart rate or I’ve fainted. I was leaning towards getting a Series 8 apple watch so that it can call emergency services AND let EMS know about my specific medical conditions. Plus, I need to make sure my heart rate is staying consistent as I adjust my meds. Fainting episodes are also usually preceded by a drastic change in heart rate. However, I’m on the fence because:
- I need to wear it in the shower, as that’s one of the places where I could faint. Most posts about using the Apple Watch in the shower are older. I want to make sure people have had luck wearing their newer models in the shower. Is this still possible with or without some sort of waterproof case?
- I’m not sure how accurate the Apple Watch heart rate measures are accurate. It would be great to get a heads up that I’m close to fainting.
Most of the traditional life alert systems aren’t water proof either, and require a very expensive subscription. The Apple Watch seems like the best investment, but I want to make sure I can use the newer models in the shower, where I have the highest risk of fainting.
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Showering should be fine. It’s designed to be worn in open ocean swimming, so a shower shouldn’t be a concern. You can always activate the water lock feature before you shower if you’re concerned about damage.
Heart rate accuracy is pretty good. Actually, most of the sensors are. When I’m at the doctor I typically check my heart rate and blood oxygen levels on my watch against the nurse’s readings. It’s usually spot on or extremely close.
You can customize the heart rate notifications by setting your own high and low hr thresholds.
Be sure to manually activate fall detection. It isn’t on by default unless you’re 65 or older.
POTS sufferer chiming in here. I have an S4 (which doesn’t answer your questions). However, I’ll say that HR is accurate. I compare it whenever I’m at the doc’s office. The native HR widget doesn’t update often enough. I would suggest using TachyMon, an app built for people with POTS that works on the watch and can send vibrating alerts when your HR passes thresholds that you set. It drains battery quite quickly though, so you may need to charge up more often. My HR also spikes in the shower, and I’ve fainted once in the shower. Purchasing a shower stool was a lifesaver for me.