Fitbit saved her life.
It's a sentence we've been hearing more and more when it comes to the tiny fitness monitoring device. Originally meant to track the healthy lifestyle changes we make as we shed weight, the little device has proven to be even more useful than intended!
Patricia Lauder from Connecticut glanced down at her Fitbit and noticed that it was logging some abnormally high resting heart rates. The 73-year-old woman's heart was beating at a rate over 140 beats per minute! Almost double her normal resting heart rate of 70 beats per minute.
Lauder tells CNN that she had already visited the doctor to treat a sinus infection. She was still waiting for the results of those tests when her Fitbit gave her the alarming feedback.
She dialed 9-1-1 and was sent to the emergency ward. Scans taken at the hospital showed blood clots in both of her lungs. The clots were causing lower oxygen levels in her body forced her heart to work harder.
If she had not sought treatment, these large clots could have stopped blood flow in her lungs ultimately leading to death.
Doctors treated her for the clots, which disappeared within 24 hours. Her lungs and heart returned to normal function - all thanks the the little monitor on her wrist!
Do you own a Fitbit? If so, pay attention to your body's signs - you never know what it could tell you about your own health!
It might even save your life!
