I want to share how my Apple Watch Series 8 might have saved my life. I recently upgraded from an Apple Watch SE to the Series 8, and right away I noticed that my blood oxygen levels were consistently reading around 88%. I didn’t even know I had low blood oxygen until this upgrade!
Worried, I reached out to a cardiologist. After some tests, they found that I had an atrial septal defect (ASD), which was causing blood to shunt from the left side of my heart to the right. The defect had already started enlarging my right atrium, and my cardiologist warned that this could lead to right-sided heart failure or even a stroke if left untreated.
Thankfully, I had surgery to close the defect, and now my blood oxygen levels are back to normal. It’s amazing because without the Series 8’s blood oxygen monitoring, I might not have known something was wrong until it was too late.
I’m incredibly grateful for this watch and how it helped catch a serious issue early enough for my heart to recover. Just thought I’d share my story as a reminder that these devices can do more than just track steps – they can really make a life-saving difference.
Interesting. My watch has often read this low as well. I didn’t think our bodies could operate at such a low level, so I’ve assumed it’s a false reading due to my loose wrist band. I’ll mention this to my doctor on my next visit just to be safe.
I’m not familiar with it enough to know the actual symptoms, but as a layperson, I don’t snore or have breathing problems while sleeping. I sleep soundly for several hours and wake feeling refreshed each time.
@Amory
I showed my doctor my low O2 readings, and after a sleep study, they found moderate sleep apnea. The consultant mentioned that getting up to go to the bathroom is a common symptom of sleep apnea.
@Amory
I don’t snore either. I don’t fit the criteria for sleep apnea, but my watch kept catching low oxygen at night. I went to the doctor for a sleep study, and it turns out I have moderate to severe apnea. I never would have guessed it without the watch.
@Amory
It could easily be a false reading, but you should definitely get checked out. If you manually check during the day and it’s fine but notice low readings at night, it could be sleep apnea, and a CPAP could really help.
Toby said: @Amory
Are you at sea level? I live at 1000m and my O2 is 90-100%. My lower readings happen while resting. Otherwise, it’s 100% at sea level.
I’m right at sea level and still get lower readings, so I suppose it’s worth noting.
@Amory
Smokers also have lower blood oxygen, and the sensor is less accurate on darker skin tones. You could try rotating the watch so the sensor is above your veins or get a pulse oximeter to double-check. They’re really cheap.
@Amory
Definitely a good idea to bring this up with your doctor. The Apple Watch can be a useful tool, but it’s always better to get a professional opinion on your health.
Oh wow, I discovered my ASD this summer and had surgery to close it in September. The only reason I found out was because I felt super low on energy for a long time and had some chest pain, but I wasn’t really taken seriously for years. After my surgery, my cardiologist recommended I buy an Apple Watch to track my BPM, which is why I got one last month! I’m so happy to hear you discovered yours too and that our watches are helping us. Wishing you lots of good health!!
Happy for you! My colleague recently had emergency surgery because his Apple Watch (the one I convinced him to buy) alerted him that his heart rate wasn’t okay. He went to the ER and went straight into emergency surgery. So yes, they definitely save lives.
