Smart watch health and activity tracking

[Bluey-1]

Do any of you wear a smart watch to track your daily activities, sleep, stress rates, body energy, etc? I have worn one for two months now as initially I wanted to monitor sleep and exercise. I’d be interested in sharing experiences with anyone. I bought a Garmin V2 which has a longer battery life than the Apple Watch - a much longer battery life than my body battery! I told a friend this week that she has a pint of milk to get her body through the day whereas i only have a third of a pint daily. She really understood then.

[Theziggy]

I wear a smart watch

[Bluey-1 in reply to Theziggy]

Do you find the data mirrors your symptoms? I have found it surprisingly accurate. On holiday last week the info showed my sleep improved, body battery became high, stress low. The days travelling and returning, sleep was low, stress high and I took time to rest. The stress data during sleep on returning is concerning and it is obvious the next day with exhaustion. I clearly need more holidays in the sun. I do balance exercise with rest but it’s getting the balance right before I go into total exhaustion - or ‘take care you’re bottoming out’ mode, as my watch warns me. A friend with a totally different heart condition was advised to get an Apple Watch but she gave it up because she didn’t like being bossed about exercise /rest and panicked with some of the heart data. Interested in your experiences. My body battery has started the day between 91 (only once) and 14 over the last two months. 14 was yesterday, stress marked as high for a couple of days so difficult to build up energy. It went down to 5 by lunchtime so yesterday was a tough one. I only made it to the hairdresser (husband took me) so I didn’t exactly overdo it.

[Koalajane]

I only use a Fitbit and I am happy with that

[MrsNails]

That’s a good analogy - that’s how l explain it as well - plus other folks can produce their own 🥛 in an emergency which we can’t!…..

[discoballs]

I have a Fitbit Versa but will move to Google Pixel Watch asap.

[MamaBeagle]

I use a Fitbit but only for sleep, steps and pulse rates. I really can't be bothered to log in food and weight etc.

[Ridge]

I had a Fitbit but became obsessed by the amount of sleep I wasn’t getting! Steroids! That added to stress levels! Then I had an Afib episode and I am sure I read somewhere about heart arrhythmias and magnetic fields of smart watches and fitbits being a no no for heart conditions? Anyone else see anything like that? I abandoned the Fitbit relaxed about sleeping but 16months later had another Afib episode! But I won’t return to the monitoring!!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Ridge]

You are right about the use of the Fitbit affecting sleep - studies have shown that.

But I can't see how it would affect a/fib - I'm pretty sure they are no different from heart monitors and at one time I heard the NHS was considering using them since the waiting list for the fancy ones they use is so long.

However - there are warnings for their use by people with implanted ICDs

heartrhythmcasereports.com/...

Not that I have a fitbit or the like - must ask if that also applies to pacemakers!

[Ridge in reply to PMRpro]

The Afib was nothing to do with the Fitbit. I know that now but I was clutching at straws then. This was before I found this Forum. This wonderful Forum which explains so much.

I thought that the magnetic field might upset my rhythms. I think I have a weird magnetic field anyway as in the past watches break or go wrong when I wear them?!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Ridge]

Oh yes - I had that problem with watches in the old days! Thank goodness for battery-driven ones!

[pata63 in reply to PMRpro]

Same! Back in the days of wind up watches if I wore one it would quit keeping time after a few days. Leave it at home and it ran fine. When I mentioned it to my mother she said "I've always had that too so I keep mine in my purse". I got out of the habit of wearing a watch so I never have, and I have been resistant to wearable computers like a fitbit, etc. I don't even like mobile phones. Mine is almost always found next to my desktop computer to do two factor authentication. It travelled with me when were were doing Covid tracing, but moved back to my desk after that.

I'm a trailing edge adopter. Ned Ludd was right. 😉

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to pata63]

I have a mobile phone - a dinosaur model. It takes and makes calls and texts - what else do I want? It even works as an excellent alarm for taking medication. If you want to send me something fancy - I have email Like you - I need my keyboard. It would double the time if I had to write what I write on a phone!

[Bluey-1 in reply to PMRpro]

Ha…we discovered at a friend’s funeral eulogy years ago that his work computer password was was Luddite! My husband was so impressed he changed his to Luddite1 for a while.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Bluey-1]

Love it!!! My husband was a physicist turned physiologist, he developed medical instrumentation for non-invasive measurement of pH and oxygen levels in tissue. But couldn't operate even a simple burner phone!! And obviously hadn't a clue about any domestic appliance ...

[Bluey-1 in reply to PMRpro]

My husband prided himself on never sending a text until a year or so ago when I told him I was sick of being his secretary and holder of online boarding passes, etc. I told him it was time to get a smartphone and be in control of his own communications. He’s now not off the thing…but very slow at texting

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Bluey-1]

I now have an iPhone in the house, can use bits of it but struggle with the Apple concept and still depend on my burner PAYG for everyday - I'd get a card for the iPhone but it weighs too much!! And all those numbers to change! Though I was relieved to find I can use my Italian number as the security phone for my UK bank account. About to lose the UK number I have had for over 25 years - it has to register on a UK mast every 90 days now. Oh no, they said, nothing will change ...

[Suffererc]

I am thinking of getting one. Easier than using phone 😊🚶‍♀️🚶‍♀️🚶‍♀️🚶‍♀️🚶‍♀️

[Bluey-1]

Thanks everyone. I’ve found the sleep tracking more reassuring in that I appear to have more (at least light sleep) sleep than I thought when it has felt like I’ve been awake most of the night. Feel particularly grim if no REM. One pattern I have noticed is a big reduction in sleep plus high stress prior and return to our weekend away and holiday abroad. Returning this week from a wonderful 11 days in the sun has hit me hard and I’ve been exceptionally drained even though I rested and did little the rest of this week. I am convinced stress has played a big role in me getting this disease although it appeared to be triggered by a virus. I have undergone a severe stressful period over the last two years, mentioned to both GP and Rheumie but no comment about that from either. Had a rough exhausting time the last three days. Full bloods due end of next week prior to rheumie review on the 19th Oct. Will see how I go…

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Bluey-1]

UK trained doctors seem to be very sceptical about the role of stress. Probably also in the USA. Never discounted here.

[Blearyeyed]

I wear a Smart watch to help keep track of my Heart Rate , Activity and Sleep.

I have a cardiac form of Dysautonomia which causes Tachycardia ( like POTS) especially on changing my position ( sitting to standing etc.) and during exercise. Knowing my heart rate is really helpful in making sure I can keep moving without the rate going so high that I faint or go dizzy and lose my balance.

Its also very useful to compare what my heart rate is during sleep. It is generally too high when I have insomnia , but I have noticed when I am jerked awake by my body, feeling breathless, my heart rate has usually dropped too low or had a sudden high spike.

I can print off the results from the app record and use them to prove the symptoms I am telling my GP or Consultant about and that it has actually happened , and, that I exercise and what happens during different activities. Priceless , for as we all know, our doctors often don't believe what we tell them unless they can see it at that exact moment in the consultation.

The one warning I would give to anyone , especially those with heart or blood pressure issues is don't rely on it to give a true reading if blood pressure .

All Smart watches , even the most expensive ones , or those used in current medical technology research, do not give accurate BP results. In fact, if you suffer with heart rate swings the BP it calculates on your watch will be highly different to your real BP or home BP cuff monitor. Medical researchers currently state from their tech research that BP readings from any Smart watch cannot yet be relied on because of the limits of how it is tested at the wrist.

For example , my Smart watch will give me BP reading over 160 /100 or more when my heart rate it over 140+ . When I check it with my cuff my BP is either low normal or very low at the same time.

Proof , and not a criticism , these watches are tested on showing results on healthy people and the intention of them was to help improve fitness in the healthy.

Also showing, a reliably tested and reviewed budget no brand Smart watch option with a good app is just as good as expensive models like Apple.

Why? Because the watch doesn't actually test pressure but accurately tests your heart rate and then uses an algorithm to calculate what a normal healthy persons BP would be at that heart rate.

So , definitely not helpful for those with BP or heart issues .

It is , however, very helpful in reducing symptoms caused by heart rate giving you a helpful prompt to sit down and breath or get up and get the circulation moving. And all reliable models can be very handy in improving your Self Care , helping your to see you need to pace your day better and are good at helping you relax if you use the Breathing exercise function.

[Bluey-1]

That’s interesting Blearyeyed. I have found it useful re helping to pace my day better too. I’ve been thrown this week though as I thought I had paced well but the insomnia and fatigue became worse once I returned home from holiday. Have managed a lovely walk in the sun today. It’s good to be outside so maybe sleep tonight? Tomorrow is another day…a phrase I find I’m using a lot since diagnosed. Some days it’s the hope that kills you!

[Blearyeyed in reply to Bluey-1]

Have you tried comparing your heart rate results at night on the nights before travelling when you couldn't sleep and the rates on days when your sleep was better?

It might be worth looking up the results on the app.

I wouldn't be surprised if you found that your heart rate was higher on the nights you felt you didn't get much benefit from your sleep. That's what I find.

I actually realised the limits of these watches because of the inaccuracies in the sleep they record for me as well as the BP differences. Because my heart rate is so much higher than healthy individuals in general it usually records me going to sleep about half an hour after I actually drop off and awake about 45 mins before I wake. The watch assumes nobody has a heart rate higher than 70 bpm when asleep.

This is still really useful though , I only sleep about 2 and a half hours a night anyway , but this often feels enough on nights when my sleep heart rate is lower or stable , but I'm exhausted after a night when my sleep heart rate was very high or swinging about, and Fatigued after nights when it drops into Brachycardia for short periods( below 50bpm) and is broken by sudden wakings.

You could have been feeling unconsciously anxious about your travelling home , or not paced yourself as well in the few days before travelling because you were packing and rushing about with last minute jobs. This , in turn, could have made you more physically tired , caused joint pain , made you uncomfortable, or changed your sleeping heart rate in a way that gave you less good rest.

Plus , everyone forgets that, unlike Anxiety, Stress isn't just a bad thing. It is all the good positive stuff too . Stress, and the symptoms it produces, is caused by any activity that is just too much for your body or brain to cope with at its current health level.

We want to fit so much in on a holiday or special day we often try to ignore our body needs and push ourselves beyond our ' New Normal', even if we believe we are still pacing ourselves. That's why after a holiday even the healthy feel like having another one , but we feel like we've also been run over by a train!

My tip with travel is always to get as much help from others on the practical jobs for trips like packing and sorting , and to get anything mainly organised a few days before the trip in either direction so you can have a quiet few days before the travel bit and reduce how tired you get from it.

Do things like choosing beach or pool days on the first day and at the end of a holiday rather than days out to build your energy , and having most of your bags packed , and just add the clothes kept out and worn on the last two days and your wash bag.

Always give yourself a rest day when you get home. Don't touch the unpacking or washing or post for at least 24 hours , or get someone else to do it , reducing the chance of you getting overtired and having a flare.

Get used to doing these things guilt free , don't feel bad for leaving jobs or being slower at doing things you did so efficiently before. Your actually not slacking but showing how much you have learned about your health needs and sensibly putting those lessons into practice.

Nothing wrong with Hope , it keeps you going , as long as its realistic, it can get you through the dark days with chronic illnesses , just like the little pleasures and silver linings you manage to find.

Take care , Bee

[Bluey-1]

Thanks so much Bee for that helpful reply. I will look at my night time heart rate results to see if there’s a pattern. I think I was anxious as it was the first time I had gone away since diagnosed, encouraged by my rheumatologist. She was correct, it did me so much good and I feel more confident about travel, especially airport assistance - emotionally hard to accept a wheelchair but I’ve got over that now. I was well looked after by the airline and would use it again as I never know when the fatigue will hit. I followed most of your tips and was fortunate to be staying at my best friend’s villa where we have stayed many times. I understand the good stress situation. It’s as if the minutest emotional stress affects me. It was a very restful stay and she was so pleased to see the ‘me’ return after a couple of days. My husband has been very supportive and organised the washing etc. Although most had been done on the final day at the villa so we returned with clean clothes! Maybe coming back to face a UK autumn/winter after the warm sun on the Algarve hasn’t helped. I feel better today but as everyone here knows, it’s the unpredictability of the disease that’s hard. Thanks so much

Carol