Warning after man, 27, ends up in hospital because of Apple watch – why you should take devices with a pinch of salt
POPULAR smartwatches could lead to “adverse psychological effects” in users, doctors warn.
It comes as a young man ended up in hospital while experiencing a panic attack after misinterpreting his Apple watch heart monitor reading.
The 27-year-old from Switzerland starting experiencing a shooting pain in his chest after completing a sporting event.
Fearing the pain could be a heart attack, the young man started to record his heart rate on his apple watch.
Writing in the Journal of Medical Case Reports, medics said the university student had purchased the watch to track his “heart health” after Danish footballer, Christian Eriksen, experienced cardiac arrest during a match.
As the young man began to panic, he googled what a heart attack would look like on a electrocardiogram (ECG) monitor – found on most smart watches.
An ECG is a simple test that can be used to check your heart’s rhythm and electrical activity.
He discovered that a T-wave on an ECG could indicate a heart attack, and went on to assume the T-wave on his watch screen as such.
“He then felt significantly worse, uneasy, and developed difficulty breathing,” The Swiss medics wrote.
While at the hospital, the young man appeared “extremely worried and described worsening symptoms of anxiety and panic, including tachycardia, palpitations, and perspiration”, the doctors said.
Further tests at the emergency department found the student had a normal heart rate on 88 beats per minute (bpm) and no indication of any related heart issues.
Your heart rate measures the number of times that your heart beats per minute, and when you are relaxed this is known as your resting heart rate.
Most adults have a resting heart rate of 60-100bpm, according to the NHS.
Anything lower than 60bpm is considered a low resting heart rate.
An athlete might have a normal resting heart rate closer to 40bpm.
The medics came to the conclusion his panicked episode was triggered by his “over-interpretation of the single-lead ECG”.
Since his scare, the man adopted some breathing techniques to control his anxiety and no longer uses his Apple watch, the authors explained.
They said this case highlights the risks involved in allowing “untrained users” – non medics – access to ECG monitors.
“This will inevitably lead to wrong conclusions, may trigger anxiety, and causes unnecessary consultations,” they said.
“Potential adverse psychological effects, such as anxiety or panic in susceptible individuals, have been largely under-reported.
“Ideally, the usage of a smartwatch should be discussed with a medical professional and implemented in a management plan,” they added.
Are smart watches worth it?
Experts have already questioned the effectiveness of smart watches, with some saying they might lead to weight gain.
A paper published in 2016 found that those who wore Fitbits for a year had no change in weight or blood pressure.
However, the medics in Singapore found that those who wore the watches were able to keep up exercise routines, more than those who didn’t.
Writing in The Lancet, experts said that despite the increase in popularity in the trackers, there is ‘little evidence’ that they can improve health.
Other studies have found that wearing a device could make you stagnant.
Common symptoms of a heart attack
Call 999 immediately if you think someone might be having a heart attack. The faster you act, the better their chances.
The signs include:
- chest pain – a feeling of pressure, heaviness, tightness or squeezing across your chest
- pain in other parts of the body – it can feel as if the pain is spreading from your chest to your arms (usually the left arm, but it can affect both arms), jaw, neck, back and tummy
- feeling lightheaded or dizzy
- sweating
- shortness of breath
- feeling sick (nausea) or being sick (vomiting)
- an overwhelming feeling of anxiety (similar to a panic attack)
- coughing or wheezing
The chest pain is often severe, but some people may only experience minor pain, similar to indigestion.
While the most common symptom in both men and women is chest pain, women are more likely to have other symptoms such as shortness of breath, feeling or being sick and back or jaw pain.
Source: NHS