Apple watch 6 and blood oxygen testing.

[Physalis]

I see that the new Apple watch can test for the level of oxygen in your blood. This would never have been of interest to me.

However, I wonder if this is something that many AFibbers do. Probably not!

[Ppiman]

I suppose it’s in response to Covid.

[Physalis in reply to Ppiman]

Hadn't thought of that!

I've got a small oximeter but have very rarely used it.

[Ppiman in reply to Physalis]

I bought one, too, but hope never to need it!

Steve

[CDreamer]

Yes I do - I think it important when in AF, well it was for me, especially if very symptomatic but I just have a cheap oximeter £12 so that won’t persuade me to buy the new Apple Watch.

[ijregner]

The Corona Virus experts have said that it is a good idea to check oxygen levels because folks were presenting with very low levels and were in trouble. No symptoms then crashed. I have an oximeter and check periodically. Checks heart rate as well.

[dolly26]

I have an oximeter as when I am in AF one of my symptoms is my breathing and my oxygen can drop to as low as 91 and then I know I have to go to a+e.

[Deb1838]

I have an oximetre that use every other day, as said before it also tells me heart rate

[Physalis in reply to Deb1838]

I bought one because they were always testing it in hospital and I thought it might be useful but my level was always between about 95 and 98. I know someone who said that hers was always 100. She was very active, much more than I am!

I think my oximeter was alright at normal heart rates but hopeless with high AFib ones. No better than my wrist monitor which was useless in the same way as my Omron bp monitor.

[Deb1838 in reply to Physalis]

I agree with you, I don’t think it is much good when in af. I have heart failure caused by af so I like to check my brain is getting enough oxygen

[Brad43]

Does it only take a momentary reading, or can it take an extended one, i.e. for hours? Blood oxygen level is one of the main indicators of sleep apnea, and that's one of the ways they test for it. There's a strong correlation between AF and sleep apnea. Of course, you would have to set your Apple watch to monitor it overnight, and check it in the morning. It shouldn't drop below about 90%.

[Physalis in reply to Brad43]

The Apple watch automatically checks your heart rate every four or five minutes. I guess, therefore, it would check the amount of oxygen in your blood in the same way - about 300 times during the day and the night. I'll see if I can find out.

Maybe, if it went low, it would start buzzing to warn you.

[Brad43]

I don't have an Apple watch, but I read up on it a bit. You can take an oxygen level test on demand, or it can take them periodically, including while you sleep. It didn't say it buzzes you, but you can get the results from the app. When doing the regular test for sleep apnea, they measure oxygen level continuously through the time you sleep. If the watch checks every few minutes, it might miss any events. But if there are a few events during the night, it might catch one of more. Anyway, you probably don't have apnea, but you might as well test for it, since you have the watch. And, as I said earlier, there is strong correlation between AF and apnea.

[Physalis in reply to Brad43]

I've only got a series 4 one. The oxygen level wouldn't interest me.

My watch can do an ECG on demand and it monitors my hr every four or five minutes. Looks like it does the same for oxygen levels.

When I posted this I thought it was a pretty useless feature but I can see that it could be quite useful especially for sleep apnoea.

In one of his videos Sanjay Gupta talks about how some people can have lots of episodes of sleep apnoea during the night which wake them up momentarily. However, if they are only awake for a couple of seconds they don't realise it or remember it. This results in poor sleep and extreme fatigue during the day so it's worth knowing about.

[Brad43]

I couldn't find anything that mentions oxygen level test in Apple Watch 4, so I have no idea what it can do in that regard. I only read about it in series 6. I have a very mild case of sleep apnea, I have no outward symptoms and I don't treat it. My son has a severe case of it, and he uses a CPAP machine every night.

[Physalis in reply to Brad43]

No it's new to the series 6 watch. It isn't on my series 4 one.

My husband had sleep apnoea but in those days I didn't know what it was. I didn't mention it to him and he died suddenly while out on our boat not long afterwards.

I felt guilty for a while that I hadn't made him aware of it but now I think it was just as well. But that was thirty years ago. Things were different then.

[Hidden]

I am a bus driver and having worked all through lockdown with some 'in bus' protection I always do two things before I leave home. One is a temperature check the other is blood oxygen. When I sign on at the bus depot my employer also does, independantly, another temperature check.

No way would I buy an Apple watch just for this. The device I use cost me about £25 and sits on the finger, just like the one in my GP's surgery.

I don't do this test because I have AF, my AF is reasonably controlled by diet and medication. I just do it because I was/am classified as a key worker and need to be on top of my health, if for no other reason than my own peace of mind.

John

[Physalis in reply to Hidden]

No, I wouldn't have bought the new Apple watch just for this but, with millions being sold, perhaps it will it help to pick up serious Covid-19 infections.