''I Could've Died'': Woman Claims Apple Watch Saved Her Life By Alerting Her To Heart Condition

Apple Watch has proven to be a life saviour on many occasions. There have been many incidents about how it saved lives by detecting abnormalities in users' health by using sensors that measure heart rate, ECG, and more. In one such recent incident, a woman in the UK claimed that Apple Watch saved her life after it alerted her to an unknown heart condition.  

According to Manchester Evening News, 59-year-old Elaine Thompson had been using the gadget to monitor her health since 2022 after she suffered from seizures. The watch recently detected something wrong with Mrs Thompson's heart rhythm and alerted her to the issue. She soon visited a cardiologist which led to her being given a heart monitor for a week. In one instance, the monitor sent an alert to the hospital, which flagged that she had flatlined for 19 seconds in her sleep.  

Mrs Thompson was rushed to the hospital where the doctors diagnosed her with an atrioventricular block in the heart that causes it to beat more slowly and with an abnormal rhythm. According to the NHS, it is a severe condition and can sometimes be categorised as a medical emergency. 

A pacemaker was then installed to help with the condition. 

"My daughter rang me and told me I needed to go into hospital urgently and the doctors were trying to get hold of me. I went in and they told me that my results showed I'd flatlined for 19 seconds. They told me it was an electrical fault with my heart and that I needed to be fitted with a pacemaker. I had it done the next day and now I have it for life. But it's a relief I went to get it looked at, otherwise, I might be dead," the 59-year-old told the Independent. 

The woman has now credited her Apple Watch with first making her aware of the issue.  

 "It saved my life. If I hadn't had the alert I wouldn't have brought it up with the doctor. Now I wear the Apple Watch all the time. It was so scary knowing I could have died. I flatlined for 19 seconds. I might not have woken up," she added. 

In another recent incident, Apple Watch helped a 16-year-old skier in getting timely treatment by detecting low blood oxygen saturation in his body. Notably, the watch's blood oxygen sensor can measure the oxygen level in the users' blood while strapped to their wrist.