Can The Apple Watch Detect Seizures?

The Apple Watch is a highly advanced tool, which is why many people want it. With that craze, I got it too, but recently, my friend who faces seizures asked me if it is helpful in that area.

Now I am someone who doesn’t face any seizures; however, this question raised a concern in me. To help my friend out, I researched this matter, and here is everything I found out.

4 Ways Apple Watch Can Help With Seizures#

Fall Detection Alerts#

Although the Apple Watch cannot detect seizures precisely, it can detect falls. Seizures can cause body movements like falling or making one immobile. The fall detection feature is helpful in this area as it can recognize these movements and contact your emergency contacts in either case. 

Send Alerts#

When you are facing seizures, there is nothing that you can do on your own. This is when the Apple Watch detects a fall and sends an alert to your emergency contact.

I find this option to be very helpful because at least people will know about it and come to your rescue. When facing this, it is very helpful if your emergency contacts get alerted about it.

Monitor Heart Rate#

With an Apple Watch, you can monitor your heart rate to stay aware of your health. Seizures cause irregular heartbeat rate, which can be detected by the Apple Watch. Hence, it will send an alert in such a case to alert you about this irregularity.

So, how does the Apple Watch monitor your heart rate? Well, Apple Watch uses light sensors that measure blood flow through your wrist. Both high and low heart rates are detected, and while it doesn’t predict seizures, there are third-party apps, such as EpiWatch from Johns Hopkins, that use your heart rate and movement data to help be aware of possible seizure-related changes.

Work with Third-Party Apps#

Like I mentioned, to stay aware of your seizures, you can download third-party apps on your Apple Watch and stay in the loop. Although Apple Watch does not have a dedicated in-built app for this, it allows you to install apps that will do the job for you. Trusted apps like EpiWatch from Johns Hopkins, Epilepsy, and SeizAlarm are among them.

I have found that those who have used these third-party apps have had a lot of help from their Apple Watch.

What the Apple Watch Cannot Do in Case of Seizures#

Cannot diagnose your Seizures#

If you have ever experienced seizures, then you know that there are a lot of factors contributing to them. However, Apple Watch, being such a small device, can only do so much. It cannot diagnose your seizures like medical equipment in hospitals can.

Apple Watch can give you hints on this subject, but that is not 100% of the information you need. Also, the Apple Watch is not eligible to provide any formal diagnosis. If you are just starting out with using an Apple Watch, then I would ask you to be aware of its metrics so that you don’t confuse it with an actual diagnosis.

This is not a very detailed report, and you should always consult a  doctor in case you notice significant issues.

Detect Different Kinds Of Seizures#

If you think that there is only one kind of seizure, then you are wrong. There are various kinds of seizures. Some of them are so subtle that you do not get to know about them. It is so subtle that even if your heart rate is normal, the seizure can occur.

Such kinds of seizures are undetectable, and they come on suddenly; hence, no heart rate monitoring will help you track those. In this department, the few features that the Apple Watch offers become negligible. So, even if you have an Apple Watch, you cannot be sure that it will track down seizures. Since there are various types of it, Apple Watch may or may not be aware of it.

Bottom Line#

I believe Apple Watch is an excellent tool in various areas, but not particularly in this area. If you are someone who needs to be aware of your health and fitness, then the Apple Watch gives a great head start.

However, coming back to the main topic, whether Apple Watch can detect seizures or not, unfortunately, the answer is no. Apple Watch cannot detect seizures, and you should rely on more trustworthy options.

Even if you face mild symptoms of it, there are so many kinds of seizures that the Apple Watch might fail to notice. That said, you can get third-party apps, and they can only help you out.

Frequently Asked Questions#