How to activate the ECG of the Apple Watch in Spain and other countries

Apple Watch EKG

After several previous rumors in which it was already anticipated that the Cupertino guys could launch the new ECG (electrocardiogram) function finally and a few days after the keynote this tool is put into operation in the Apple Watch Series 4 in Spain and other countries such as Hong Kong and the European Union.

Now we have this function active that allows us to record the rhythm and intensity of the electrical signals that make the heart beat, all from our watch. The function was launched in the United States a few months after the official launch of the watch and as we have seen over time, this function has already saved a life. Today we'll see what is, how is activated and how does this ECG work, Do not miss it.

EKG Apple Watch
Related article:
Video of ECG operation on Apple Watch

What Exactly is an ECG?

An electrocardiogram is nothing other than the recording of the electrical activity of our heart, so when our heart beats it emits electrical impulses that are responsible for contracting this vital organ of our body and what parts of it must do it to pump blood.

For people's lives, it is very important to have a normal ECG without abnormal impulses and this can be measured much better with a machine that adds electrodes throughout our body that is in turn connected to a computer which reads the information and creates a graph. of these electrical impulses. When a doctor looks at an EKG, they can get detailed information on how your heart rhythm works and look for irregularities that can cause failure of this organ.

EKG Apple Watch

Does the ECG replace a visit to specialist doctors?

No and absolutely not. We have to be very clear that the visit to the doctor if we already have this application for our iPhone and Apple Watch unable to detect a heart attack in no case and it is important to be clear about these points before thinking that one is protected with this function of the Apple device. If you ever feel pain, pressure or tightness in your chest, or any indication of what could be a heart attack, your watch may warn you of this abnormality but it is important that you contact the services of emergency.

This reading is not capable of detecting a possible blood clot, a cerebrovascular accident and other conditions related to the heart, including hypertension, heart failure, hypercholesterolemia or other types of arrhythmias of this vital organ for life. The most important thing is to be clear that this function is great for informational use but in no case does it replace a visit to the doctor in case of problems with the heart. Apple also warns us that the ECG app It is not intended for, and is not suitable for, people under the age of 22.

Apple Watch Series 4

Does my Apple Watch support this feature?

This is one of the questions that we were asked the most when the function for the watch was announced and in this case the answer is that we need two devices so that we can enjoy this ECG reading. We need a 4mm or 40mm Apple Watch Series 44 whatever model (sport or steel) with watchOS 5.1.2, linked with an iPhone 5s or higher with iOS 12.1.1 or higher.

The rest of Apple smart watches are left out of this function since they do not have the electrical heart rate sensor on the bottom of the device itself, but Apple adds the notifications for irregular rhythm in this update also for Apple Watch Series 1 onwards. This function is obviously not an ECG as the Apple Watch Series 4 can perform, but it is also quite interesting to detect arrhythmias that may be due to atrial fibrillation.

iPhone ECG

How do I activate the ECG on my Apple Watch Series 4?

It is very easy to activate this new function that has just been launched in watchOS 5.2 for users in Spain and other EU countries. For this we simply have to download the update on our watch from the iPhone Watch app. Remember that the installation of the new versions requires that the Apple Watch have at least 50% battery, that it is within range of the iPhone and that we have the watch connected to the charger. Basically this new version does not add more news than this arrival of the ECG, so its weight is barely 457 MB but you already know that the download and installation depends on many factors so it is best not to be in a hurry when updating.

Once we have the new version installed we simply have to Access the Watch application and in the Settings of the Heart application we find the new ECG function that we can activate. We will have to add the date of birth and click Continue once the details of this function have been read. When you finish, you will already have the ECG function activated on the watch directly on your watch like the rest of the available applications. We can click on the crown to access the apps and click on it to use it whenever we want.

Electrocardiogram Apple Watch

My first ECG on the Apple Watch

This is something that we have wanted to do on our watch for a long time since it is a spectacular function that we cannot have activated by European regulations on this type of data but now it is active and we can use it on our watch. To do this we simply have to adjust the watch well to our wrist (that it is not loose or above the wrist bone) that open this heart rate app what we have on the clock and place your finger on the Digital Crown for about 30 seconds approximately. Instantly, the watch will read the sinus rhythm, atrial fibrillation, high or low heart rate and even the inconclusive result (which is a result that cannot be classified in the registry due to not letting the arms rest or other details).

We have to be calm, sitting and breathing calmly, it is useless to perform an ECG after sports or any effort as the reading would be wrong. We can also save the information of these readings in the Health app of our iPhone and we can even send this data for informational purposes for our doctor by email or AirDrop.

Once the ECG has been performed, the watch itself sends a notification to the iPhone that shows us the results of this reading and reminds us that the information displayed is merely informative, so it recommends that you If you do not feel well or you feel chest pain, go immediately to your doctor or notify the emergency services for a better diagnosis.


A comment, leave yours

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked with *

*

*

  1. Responsible for the data: Miguel Ángel Gatón
  2. Purpose of the data: Control SPAM, comment management.
  3. Legitimation: Your consent
  4. Communication of the data: The data will not be communicated to third parties except by legal obligation.
  5. Data storage: Database hosted by Occentus Networks (EU)
  6. Rights: At any time you can limit, recover and delete your information.

  1.   Jose Luis Urena Alexiades said

    I have already done an electro after the update.