Gone are the days when watches and rings were merely fashion accessories. From smartwatches to fitness rings, these gadgets have evolved to become personal health monitoring devices, with the capability to warn against potential illnesses before you even realise it. With their sophisticated sensors, fitness trackers can pick up on subtle changes in your body that could be early signs of illness, giving you a chance to take action and prevent further complications.

These smart devices collect basic information about your vitals and track their patterns over time, recording any disruptions in these trends. By providing an overview of these trends, they offer a much more dynamic picture of your health compared to a static snapshot 
(like blood pressure). This continuous monitoring is what allows them to detect when something’s off, helping to identify potential issues before they become more obvious.

For example, if your body temperature starts creeping up slightly without a full-blown fever, or if your resting heart rate increases from baseline without any obvious palpitations, or if your HRV (Heart Rate Variability), a measure of your body’s resilience and ability to handle stress, drops, these are actually important signs of impending illness. You might not feel sick yet, but these devices can track internal changes well in advance, giving you an early warning before you even feel unwell.

 

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1. Heart Rate Monitoring

• Feature: Most health wearables, like Fitbit, Apple Watch, and Garmin, can continuously monitor your heart rate.
• Warning signs: If your heart rate becomes unusually high or low, it may be a sign of an underlying issue such as arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), stress, or heart disease. These disease-detection devices often send an alert when your heart rate goes outside a normal range.
• Why it matters: An elevated heart rate that doesn’t decrease with rest could signal conditions like dehydration, fever, or heart problems. Conversely, a heart rate that is too low could indicate an issue with your heart's electrical system.

 

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2. Blood Oxygen Levels (SpO2)

• Feature: Devices like the Oura Ring and Apple Watch now include sensors that measure the amount of oxygen in your blood.
• Warning signs: If your oxygen levels drop below normal levels (usually around 95-100%), it could be a sign of respiratory issues, sleep disorders, apnea, or even COVID-19. The device will alert you if it detects oxygen levels that are too low.
• Why it matters: Low oxygen levels may indicate trouble with lung function or circulation, and a drop in levels can happen without obvious symptoms, especially during sleep. Early detection can help prevent serious complications.

 

Related story: How to Monitor Your Heart Health

 

3. Temperature Fluctuations

• Feature: Devices like the Oura Ring can measure changes in body temperature.
• Warning signs: An unexpected rise in body temperature, even a small amount, could be an early indication of an infection or fever. Fitness trackers monitor your baseline temperature and alert you if there are noticeable deviations from it.
• Why it matters: Early temperature increases can often be one of the first signs of illness like a viral infection or flu. This can prompt you to seek medical attention before symptoms fully develop.

 

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4. ECG (Electrocardiogram) Monitoring

• Feature: Wearables like the Apple Watch and Withings Move ECG can perform ECG tests to monitor the electrical activity of your heart.
• Warning signs: An ECG on a wearable can detect irregular heart rhythms (like atrial fibrillation or AFib), which may not be obvious to the wearer. These devices can alert you if they detect abnormal heart patterns, such as an unusually high or low heart rate or irregular beats, which could indicate a heart issue.
• Why it matters: Early detection of abnormal heart rhythms is critical. Conditions like AFib can increase the risk of stroke, heart failure, and other serious health problems if left untreated. Having access to ECG data on a wearable allows you to catch these irregularities early and seek medical attention before a more serious event, like a stroke or heart attack, occurs. By monitoring your heart’s electrical activity, you can take action earlier, possibly preventing dangerous complications.

 

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5. Sleep Tracking

• Feature: Devices like the Fitbit, Oura Ring, and Apple Watch track your sleep patterns, including how long you spend in deep sleep, light sleep, and REM (rapid eye movement) sleep.
• Warning signs: Poor sleep quality, frequent awakenings, or insufficient sleep duration can be detected by these wearables. If your sleep is disrupted or you aren't spending enough time in restorative deep sleep, the device will provide feedback and sometimes alert you to potential issues. Changes in sleep patterns can also be indicative of sleep disorders like sleep apnea, insomnia, or even underlying health problems like stress or anxiety.
• Why it matters: Sleep disturbances, such as frequent waking or insufficient deep sleep, can indicate health issues like sleep apnea or stress. The device may alert you if it notices patterns that could be a sign of an underlying problem, helping you address potential sleep disorders early.

 

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6. Activity and Movement Tracking

• Feature: Most fitness trackers, such as Fitbit, Apple Watch, and Garmin, track daily movement, steps, exercise, and periods of inactivity. Some devices even track specific activities like running, cycling, or swimming, while others provide insights into your overall activity levels.
• Warning signs: A sudden drop in daily movement or activity levels can signal potential health issues. For example, prolonged inactivity may indicate fatigue, illness, or depression. On the flip side, these devices can also track if you’re overly active, which can lead to overtraining or stress. Fitness trackers can send alerts if you’ve been sedentary for too long, encouraging you to move, or if your activity levels drop significantly over a period of time.
• Why it matters: Prolonged periods of inactivity or a sudden drop in daily activity levels could be a sign of illness or other issues. Some wearables can also detect if the user falls or experiences a sudden impact (e.g., a fall detector feature), which can be helpful in emergencies, especially for elderly users.

 

7. Stress Monitoring

• Feature: Some wearables, like the Apple Watch and Whoop Strap, include features to track your stress levels using heart rate variability (HRV) and other metrics.
• Warning Signs: If your wearable consistently shows low HRV readings, it may indicate your body is under constant stress or not recovering well.
• Why it matters: Low HRV is associated with higher stress, poor physical recovery, and can signal an increased risk of heart-related issues. Mental-health monitoring gauges fatigue, and anxiety. Wearables can help by alerting users when they are under high stress, encouraging them to take breaks or engage in relaxation techniques.

 

Related story: Ways to Tame Stress And Make it Empower You

Use the UR.Life app to track key health metrics like BMI, calorie intake, and other vital statistics. The app also offers personalised diet counseling and comprehensive health risk assessments to help you understand your overall well-being. We have a well-curated section of healthy recipes by expert nutritionists. 
With UR.Life, you can get a holistic view of your health by monitoring your daily habits, identifying areas for improvement, and receiving tailored recommendations to optimise your fitness and nutrition. Whether you're looking to maintain a healthy weight, improve your diet, or assess potential health risks, this app serves as an all-in-one tool to support your journey toward better health.

 

Need all your wellness solutions in one place? A whole new world awaits just a click away.

 

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