(CNN) – You may wear one on your wrist, talk into one, or watch videos on them. Smart devices like phones, watches, and tablets are all around us, but can they be used to accurately track your health?
Smart devices can be a good tool to help track health. Especially those with underlying health issues. Cardiologist Dr. Laxmi Mehta with The Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center says that knowledge is power when it comes to your smart device.
“There’s some trackers that only check your step count, and then there’s others like watches that can tell you how much sleep you’re getting, and the quality of your sleep as well as your heart rate, which can be important with someone with a potential underlying heart conditions,” said Mehta.
While smart devices may be useful, Mehta cautions against having it be the only tool you use. If a tracker highlights a potential problem, it’s time to go see your doctor, and she says the devices shouldn’t replace routine doctor visits. She says smart devices can also help alert you to a potentially dangerous condition called atrial fibrillation, or an abnormal heart rhythm. She says if it goes undiagnosed for a prolonged period of time, it does raise a person’s risk of having a stroke.
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