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He ended up throwing up all night.
Joe Scarnici/Getty Images
Eventually, he tried to sleep, thinking he would feel better after a good nights rest.
But when he woke up in the morning, Woodhall said he still felt pain.
It was the first time in the four years hes been wearing the ring that he saw that notification.
This instantly caught me off-guard, he said.
That prompted him to head to the hospital.
Sometimes you get a sign right when you need it, he wrote in the caption of his post.
Although scary, Im so grateful things worked out.
How can smart health trackers be helpful in emergency situations?
Doctors have witnessed this in practice, too, particularly for heart issues.
This has been, in my opinion, one of the most important things these instruments are good for.
But as Woodhall discovered, smart devices can raise the alarm for things outside the cardiac realm too.
Fever is a key sign of an infection like appendicitis, he says.
There are limitations to these devices, though.
Thats a fact many of these trackers are upfront about.
Oura, for example,statesthat its temperature readings are 92% accurate under real-world conditions.
The company stresses the importance of seeking immediate help if you experience concerning symptoms.
Thats something Dr. Muckey says shes personally experienced.
You just have to use your own judgement to say that a reading doesnt make sense.
Okay: I just got an alert from my health tracker.
Is it time to freak out?
If you happen to get an alert from your health tracker, dont panic.
But doctors say its worth at least paying attention to this information if youve been using your rig correctly.
Or, say, the severe stomach pains Woodhall experienced.
In these situations, it makes sense to speak with your physician or seek medical care, Dr. Something else to consider is if your symptoms are normal for you, Dr. Muckey says.
In someone who always has headaches, a headache would not be a red flag, she explains.
But if someone never has headaches and is now having terrible head pain, Im more worried.
Thats why Dr. Muckey recommends looking at health readings from your tracker as a guide more than anything.
People should listen to their bodies, she says.
Still extremely sore, but feeling better, he added.
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