Using the Band HR monitor while in afib (atrial fibrillation)

[Otto Gunter]

Has anyone had any experience using the Band while in afib (atrial fibrillation)? Are the readings accurate or at least helpful?

I provide this information manually now, to my physician, but would prefer to use a monitor and to determine when and for how long I'm in afib. Even if the HR is not an accurate reading. I'm hoping the Band will do the job for me.

 

[Snow Wight]

If you are in Atrial Fibrillation, it will just show an irregular heartbeat. It may show if you go into fast AF, but only as a fast/irregular pulse as it is not an ECG and will not record wave forms.

 

[DroidUser42]

Keep in mind that in "normal mode" it only monitors your HR for 1 minute out of every 10. As such it's sampling, not taking a continuous reading. (Exercise mode is continuous.)

I have no knowledge of afib, but that seems like a limited diagnostic of what I'd hope would be a short-term event.

 

[Otto Gunter]

I am aware that it is not a continuous reading, but I'm looking for confirmation that, while the HR is normal, the Band will record it successfully as normal and that "abnormal" readings from afib will not render those readings useless. Note that afib can last for days, with hours of normal HR in between that I need to record.

If you have no knowledge of afib you are indeed fortunate (and likely younger than me!). May that hold true for the rest of your life.

 

[idokamaroq]

I also (fortunately) don't know much about afib, but keep in mind that this is a consumer level device for those who are just using it for amusement and to get/stay in shape. I wouldn't rely on it if the readings are critical to your health. The 1-on, 9-off thing was already mentioned, but since it uses an optical heart rate monitor, it's susceptible to noise and inaccurate readings unless it has good, continuous contact on your skin in the dark.

This thread might be of interest.

 

[ChardJeffrey]

I am told that I suffer from AF (they think it was the cause of my stroke last November). I wear a Band 2. The only symptom that the Band would detect could be the higher heart rate that one is supposed to suffer during a episode. I have never detected that increase using the Band. The Band only measures the pulses of blood squirting in your wrist, it uses quite complicated algorithms to convert that to a rate -I suspect the algorithms filter out an AF episode.

 

[Otto Gunter]

I did buy the Band 2 a little over a year ago, and it is proving to be very helpful indeed for tracking my afib. As an example, this is a monitored night of normal sleep yesterday:

This is a night of irregular heartrate, the difference is obvious, and the Band clearly shows me when my episode began, and its relative rate. Note the difference in the axis scale too:


So I find it very useful. One other point, if you need more granularity in the heartrate during the day (because if you are at rest the Band will not be very active either), just set up a "guided workout" and start that when you start an afib episode. I set up a 4-hour walking workout that I use, and it will record your heart rate at a greater frequency.

Lastly, good luck with that afib. I've had 3 cardiac ablations and now have PAC instead of AF. I no longer need heart meds, but I have just as many down days as I had before. That's life! :amaze:

 

[IlikeMS]

The optical sensor, like a pulse oximeter does not read the electrical pulses from the heart. It is only a loose measurement of the blood pumping from the heart. A halter or an ekg monitor is needed to actually see the heart in Afib. When you use a pulse oximeter (SpO2 and HR) when in Afib it will usually show very inaccurate readings. Using your hands to count the beats or an ekg monitor will be way more accurate. So long story short, the Band2 will be quite inaccurate.