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Journalism of Courage
It was a regular Wednesday for Sahil, 26, a rice manufacturer from Nainpur, Madhya Pradesh. But by the end of the day, he would be thanking his smartwatch for saving his life. Sometimes, it’s ordinary days that take the most unexpected of turns.
Sahil has been using Apple Watch Series 9 for nearly three years. On that fateful evening, when he was returning from Jabalpur after a business trip, his Apple Watch alerted him about an unusually high heart rate.
“I had a meeting in Jabalpur that day. It was one of those days when you don’t want to get out of bed. The weather was also gloomy, so I thought I might skip it. But I couldn’t postpone the meeting, so I had to board the train. My meeting went well, so I decided to treat myself to a movie that day. The movie was about to end in just half an hour and was scheduled to finish at 6:30 PM,” Sahil told indianexpress.com.
Around 5 pm, he got a notification on his Apple Watch saying that even though he had been inactive for a while, his heartbeat was going above 150 for about 10 to 15 minutes. “That was when I became a little concerned, because I was sitting in an air-conditioned theatre – I wasn’t even walking.”
Sahil said that he was relaxed and was watching the movie, yet his heartbeat was unusually high. “At that time, I decided I wasn’t going to board the train. I had a return ticket at 7:30 pm, but I decided I was going to visit a doctor instead. So I went to the doctor. Meanwhile, I also took an ECG on my watch. Since I’m not a medical professional, I didn’t know how to read the ECG, so I showed it to the doctor.”
Since the ECG didn’t show anything major, the doctor asked him to get an actual ECG done. “Later, the doctor told me I had to get my blood pressure checked because the watch doesn’t have the option to measure blood pressure. When the doctor measured it, my blood pressure was 180 by 120.”
Along with blood pressure, Sahil’s pulse was also high. The doctor asked him to get hospitalised immediately. Following admission, he underwent a troponin test that came out to be in the normal limit. Sahil admitted that the issue was because of work. “I had been too hard on myself. I have also been travelling a lot since March and eating junk food only.”
The doctor told Sahil that had he decided to board the train with such blood pressure, he may have suffered a stroke or brain haemorrhage. “I might have collapsed,” he said, adding that the doctor’s words inspired him to mail Apple CEO Tim Cook.
When asked if he had any medical history, Sahil said he had never faced any discomfort in the past. “I’m completely fine. Even today, two or three days after the incident, I’m not taking any medication. My medication was only for two days. Even after that, I’m feeling absolutely fine. I don’t have problems related to the heart or anything.”
When asked if he truly thought that his Apple Watch saved his life that day, Sahil asserted, saying, “The Apple Watch actually saved my life. The major reason I decided not to board the train was because of the watch.” The businessman said that at first he thought it to be nothing serious owing to the changing weather.
Sahil shared that after the incident his approach to health and stress management has dramatically changed. “Since that day, I’ve stopped eating junk food. Even when I travel for meetings, I try to stay calm in every situation. It wasn’t because of stress, as I told you – it was being too harsh on my body. Now I’m also tracking my sleep on my Apple Watch.”
The entrepreneur who got married just a month ago also shared that his family was relieved and was thankful for the Apple Watch.
When asked what he would like to say to people who look at smartwatches as mere gadgets, Sahil said that he would recommend everyone buy a smartwatch. “I don’t have any history, but my father has a history of cardiac issues. My grandfather had them too. So it’s very necessary when you know you already have a family history. You should always have a watch that can track you all the time.”
Sahil concluded by sharing the three most important things to stay healthy today – proper diet, proper sleep, and proper stress management. “Only these three things can help you stay healthy,” he said, adding that he is looking forward to buying Apple Watch Ultra 3 for his entire family.
It needs to be noted that for most adults, a normal blood pressure is below 120/80 mm Hg. Readings that stay above this range may indicate early or high blood pressure, while very low readings can lead to dizziness or fatigue. If you notice either, consult a doctor. Cutting down on salt, eating more fruits and vegetables, staying active, sleeping well, and managing stress can help maintain healthy levels. Regular blood-pressure checks are key since hypertension often shows no symptoms.
