While Apple is facing a legal battle in the US that has forced them to stop selling the latest Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2, stories about the life-saving capabilities of the smartwatch continue to emerge.
The latest story comes from a Reddit user who credits his Apple Watch with saving his life after he experienced a blackout while driving. He quickly took an ECG on his watch, which showed he was in ventricular tachycardia, a serious heart condition.
“As I lay here in my hospital bed with my new pacemaker/defibrillator ICD implanted in my chest, I’m feeling pretty grateful,” he wrote on Reddit. “Last Thursday night, while driving, I unexpectedly felt like I was blacking out. I got tunnel vision, anxiety, and pressure in my chest, and went into ventricular tachycardia. I pulled over as my consciousness was fading, put it in park hit the ECG icon. And put my finger on the crown. I didn’t pass out but I did change seats with my wife. And asked her to take me to the closest fire station.”
By the time the EMTs arrived, the episode had passed, but the Apple Watch ECG had captured the event. Allowing his doctors to diagnose the problem and take immediate action.
“By me being able to record the event and see the shift back to my normal rhythm my doctors were able to stabilize me,” he said. “I was in sustained vtach for over three minutes. None of my doctors had ever seen this.”
This is just one of many stories about the Apple Watch saving lives. The ECG feature has been available since the Apple Watch Series 4. And has been credited with detecting a variety of heart conditions, including atrial fibrillation and stroke.
With Christmas just around the corner, this story is a reminder of the importance of wearing a smartwatch or other wearable device that can monitor your health. These devices can provide valuable information to you and your doctor, and they may even save your life.
