Many generations ago, Apple made a decision focus Apple Watch on health and sports related features. It was a very smart move, because until then, no one was entirely clear on the usefulness of smartwatches that were used to check mobile notifications, in some cases to use their apps for a limited time and little else, making it difficult to justify the investment required to get one.

Since then, we’ve seen it add new sensors and new features related to them, from the electrocardiogram that debuted on the Apple Watch Series 4 with WatchOS 5.2 to the Series 6 oximeter, or the future plans Apple has in mind. your watch can also be used as a constant and non-intrusive blood glucose monitor, something that is still a long time coming but progressing at a rapid pace.

Hand in hand with these sensors came functions that make it possible to use the measurements they make recognize potentially dangerous symptoms and in this way warn users as soon as possible. This type of information provided at the right time can mean the difference between scare and disaster, so any progress in this regard is excellent news and should be welcomed with open arms.

Apple Watch is “trained” to detect certain signals associated with specific problems, but the most interesting thing is that there are others, previously undefined, which are also a warning signal. The latest example of this can be found in an Apple Insider telling us this The Apple Watch helped diagnose something it wasn’t designed to do. And it is very likely that thanks to this, its owner can tell about it.

According to the publication, Cleveland man Ken Counihan’s Apple Watch informed him that his breathing rate was unusually high, at around 18 breaths per second, compared to his usual average of 14. The signal was added to the pressure from his family. made her go to the doctor, who, taking into account the measurements from the watch, decided to take an X-ray, with which he verified that I suffered from bronchitis from the beginning.

While he was still being treated for bronchitis, one night the Apple Watch detected that his blood oxygen level (saturation) was dropping from a normal value of around 95 to around 85. This caused him to visit the doctor again, this time to the emergency room, where she discovered she had blood clots in her lungs. As a result of this discovery, he started taking anticoagulants and his health improved considerably.

The medical staff who treated Counihan that night were able to point him in the right direction with the data collected by the Apple Watch, leading to a quick diagnosis that made all the difference. And according to what his own doctor told him, if he didn’t seek help, he had a 60% chance of not surviving the nightso the consequences could have been disastrous.

Quantifiers, whether they are watches like the Apple Watch or wristbands, have become a tool in the service of health, which, if used correctly, can warn us in time of many possible threats, even more than those for which they have already been trained. and due to the occurrence of cases of this type, those responsible for these quantification devices can further enrich their functions of identifying problems from data, e.g. a virtuous circle that benefits us all.