Fitbit has been credited for saving lives numerous time. Fitbit was once reported to saved the life of a woman who was having a heart attack, while another man’s life was saved after his Fitbit warned him of an unusual heart rate.
Introduction
It is astoundingly simple to ignore important signals coming from your body. Knowing a little bit about what’s happening within your body could help you make important—and possibly life-saving—decisions.
In one American real-world case, a woman’s Fitbit saved her life when it noticed an odd fluctuation in her heart rate. According to CNN, Patricia Lauder, a 73-year-old from Connecticut, recently learned that her Fitbit was documenting a significantly higher resting heart rate than usual—over 140 beats per minute as opposed to her typical 60 to 70.
She had recently visited the doctor for a sinus infection and was awaiting test results when she called 911 to request an ambulance to transport her to the emergency room. At the hospital, blood clots were found in both of her lungs, making her heart work harder to make up for the decreased oxygen levels.
Clots that go untreated might cause a fatal obstruction in the lungs. She was feeling better and her lungs and heart were back to normal after 24 hours of having treatment for her blood clots.
In a different instance, the Fitbit Charge HR of a 42-year-old man helped his doctors swiftly identify the best appropriate therapy for him by enabling them to access prior data from the app.
They were better able to pinpoint what caused his heart rate to increase with such increased precision.
Of course, these wearables are not intended to replace medical devices. They are an additional data source that may alert you or your doctors to a condition that you otherwise wouldn’t have known about.
Fitbit watches contain a variety of capabilities, such as the ability to track heart rate and calories burnt, as well as the sending of notifications if something seems off with your health, that just might possibly save lives. Below are just a few of the ways a Fitbit could be of assistance if you’re wondering how, it could save your life:
The Fitbit can monitor calories burnt and heart rate.
When your heart beats, your capillaries dilate and constrict in response to variations in blood volume. The Fitbit’s optical heart-rate sensor employs light-sensitive photodiodes to detect these volume changes. By flashing its green LEDs hundreds of times each second, it detect the changes. The wearable then determines how many times your heart beats each minute (BPM). An interval of 30 to 220 BPM is detected by the optical heart-rate sensor.
Fitbit can alert you if your heart rate is out of the ordinary.
The optical sensors in Fitbit smartwatches and trackers may detect the pulse of blood that flows to your wrist. In order to look for indications of AFib (atrial fibrillation), the watch Irregular Rhythm Notifications feature gathers cardiac rhythm and motion data. When you activate the feature, your heart rhythm data are gathered in the background while you are at rest or asleep. After data synchronization with the Fitbit app you are then assess for AFib.
Fitbit examines your beat-to-beat measures to look for anomalies. Measurements of the time between heartbeats reveal how quickly one heartbeat follows another. Usually expressed in milliseconds (ms), it is converted to beats per minute (bpm). These measures typically follow predictable patterns and are smooth. Large fluctuations (above 10 bpm) in either direction over a short time may be regarded as abnormal. This will get pick up by the wearable and user will be notified.
You can maintain an active lifestyle crucial for heart health.
According to studies, using a fitness tracker on a regular basis—a gadget that records your movement, such as a pedometer or other wearable device, or a smartphone app—can raise your daily steps by more than a mile, particularly if you set a heart-healthy daily target.
Your sleep patterns can be tracked.
Tracking your sleep patterns may reveal underlying health condition.
The electroencephalogram (EEG), which can detect brain activity, and other technologies that can track eye and muscle activity are typically used in laboratories to evaluate the various stages of sleep. The gold standard for determining sleep stages is this method (source), but your device can estimate your sleep stages in a more cozy, practical way. The wearable calculates your sleep stages based on your heart-rate and movement patterns. Your tracker or watch assumes you are asleep after around an hour of inactivity.
Additional information can be used to establish that you are asleep. From duration of your movements that are suggestive of sleep behavior (such as rolling over, etc.), to Heart rate variability (HRV), also known as the beat-to-beat variations in your heart rate. It occur while you alternate between stages of light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep. This can all be monitored by the device while you sleep. The wearable can estimate your sleep cycles from the night before; using your movement and heart rate patterns when you connect your device in the morning.
Your Heart Healthy progress is tracked with the Fitbit. This can be inspiring for you to make healthy adjustment using the data.
Consequently, if you’re seeking for a way to keep safe and healthy, a Fitbit can be the ideal choice.
FITBIT ECG APP
The ECG application is developed to assess Heart Rhythm. It is a feature of the Fitbit app on your phone or tablet, and the Fitbit ECG app for your wrist-worn device.
You can utilize the ECG app on your phone to create and store your ECG. All you need to do is take a 30-second ECG measurement. With the help of the recording, the ECG app creates a report that you can view on your Fitbit wrist device as well as on your phone or tablet.
The Fitbit app’s Heart Rhythm Assessment icon under the Health Assessments & Reports section contains the data from the ECG app. You can print the ECG report in PDF.
Fitbits have a lot of functions that can save your life. They can track steps, keep an eye on heart rate, and even keep an eye on sleep patterns. If something seems off, they can also send notifications to the wearer’s phone. This means that if you wear a Fitbit, you may be notified to medical conditions before they turn serious.
Of course, no technological advancement can replace quality medical care. If you have any health issues, please schedule an appointment with a doctor right away. But if you’re seeking for an additional layer of security, a Fitbit might be a good consideration.
The Fitbit models listed below are some of the model you can consider if you are now seriously considering getting yourself a Fitbit fitness tracker.
Inspire 2 by Fitbit
Start tracking your daily activity, sleep, and heart rate with this simple device that has a battery life of up to 10 days. The Inspire 2 has a number of capabilities, including 24/7 Heart Rate, Active Zone Minutes earned based on targeted heart rate ranges, peak heart rate, cardio, and fat burning. This promotes heart health and makes the most of your workouts as you go. Additionally, it features tools for better sleep and daily motivation mode.
Additionally, the Inspire 2 tracks menstrual health. Recording your menstrual cycle, symptoms, ovulation, and other cycle trends can be helpful. It is undoubtedly a fantastic feature for women.
Charge 5 by Fitbit
The Charge 5 comes next. Meet the most cutting-edge fitness and health tracker, which offers features like notifications for high and low heart rates, the EDA Scan app for stress reduction, and more. With the Daily Readiness function, which needs a premium subscription, you can now optimize your activity and routine. With its personalized score and Daily Readiness feature, the Fitbit informs you whether you should prioritize rest over exercise. To determine your level of activity preparedness. The wearable take into account information from your exercise, sleep, and heart rate variability (HRV).
A Stress Management Score feature is also available on the Charge 5. It provides you with a daily stress management score and an on-wrist EDA Scan app. The app gauges your body’s physical response in the real-time. Using the stress management score as a guidance. You can incorporate mindfulness session recommended by Fitbit to help you lower your stress level. Bear in that the mindfulness session by Fitbit is a premium features. You will need a subscription to fully unlock its capabilities. For new Fitbit devices, users can try out Fitbit mindfulness premium session for up to 6-months free.
As for heart rate wise, you can monitor your heart rate around-the-clock. As well as your resting heart rate, heart rate variability, level of cardio fitness, and notifications for high and low heart rates. The Fitbit Charge 5 includes GPS, Health Metrics, as well as other features that are beneficial to your fitness journey.
All in all, beside the two featured Fitbit wearables, you can expect a full-range of wearables from Fitbit. You will surely find one that suits you. From the Fitbit Charge 4 to the Charge 5, Fitbit Inspire HR, Fitbit Ionic, and many more. Visit your local Fitbit store and test them out.
Conclusion
Fitbit, in short is a modern fitness tracker that help you keep tracking of you general health. Although not a substitute for professional medical devices. It can serve as a complimentary health accessories for individuals that want to be more mindful of their general well-being.
For individual that want to lead a healthier lifestyle, Fitbit is the perfect companion. It help to keep tracks of your workout, overall health, health goals, and many more.
For others with existing health conditions. Or elders that are approaching their twilight years, it can serve as a complimentary health monitoring apps. In cases of emergency. It might just save your love one or your life. Just like the man who found out he had an usual heart rate thanks to the Fitbit. The lady that contacted 911 due to her astounding high heart rate; detected by her Fitbit. Life is unpredictably predictable, especially when it comes to health.