His Apple Watch warned of an irregular heart rate. Turns out he was having a heart attack

globalnews.ca:

A Nova Scotia man is thanking a digital watch for saving his life.

Travis Chalmers, of Elmsdale, N.S., said he was outside playing road hockey with his son when he suddenly experienced a “warm sensation” in his chest area and a splitting headache.

“I just thought it was a flu or cold coming on and my seasonal allergies had been kicking in. I thought it was flu-like symptoms and shrugged it off,” he said.

But to Chalmers’ surprise, an otherwise laidback afternoon eventually took a scary turn when he glanced at his wrist. A notification from his Apple Watch led him to discover he was experiencing a heart attack.

“About a half hour later, I’m laying down with my daughter and my heart rate is still beating out of my chest,” he continued, adding that he monitored his heart rate on his Apple Watch for the next few hours.

The watch indicated that he was experiencing atrial fibrillation, a rapid heart rhythm that can increase the risk of stroke and heart failure. As his heart continued to maintain an irregular pace, he decided to head to a nearby hospital.

“When I said atrial fibrillation and gave them the symptoms, I was rushed right in,” he said. “That’s when they told me I’m probably having a heart attack.”

Chalmers, who’s 44 years old, said doctors confirmed there were high troponin levels in his blood, indicating damage to the heart. After several tests, it was confirmed he was experiencing a heart attack.

“I stayed in the hospital for a week and got more tests done to confirm and one of my arteries is 100 per cent blocked,” he said, adding that doctors believe the artery became completely clogged while he was playing road hockey with his son.

He said he will have to take daily medication for the rest of his life.

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