There’s no good time to get sick, but it’s especially annoying if it happens when you have big plans, like a vacation or, say, half-marathon races scheduled before your next marathon. The latter is what happened to me.
I’ve caught some sort of food bug that wrecked me for almost two days as I was away from home, traveling for this running hobby of mine. Thankfully, it all went away rather quickly, and I have the Apple Watch Series 10 to thank for recording everything.
I don’t wear the Apple Watch just to track my running sessions. I want it to record as many health parameters as possible. That’s why I upgraded from the Apple Watch SE 2 to the Apple Watch Series 10, as the latter can track extra health data. The new Vitals feature in watchOS 11 and iOS 18 is especially useful for getting an idea of your health parameters.
I told you that you must pay attention to one of them, the Wrist Temperature readings, as this feature won’t “just work.” You must set up a Sleep Focus mode every night for the Apple Watch Series 10 to record your Wrist Temperature.
It turns out I’ve enabled the feature right in time to catch my short fight with what must have been a case of food poisoning. The Apple Watch Series 10 recorded my fever at night, and it’s all thanks to this sensor.
As I explained just days before I got sick, some Apple Watch users say that Wrist Temperature changes that happened in the nights before the onset of symptoms warned them they were about to get sick. I wanted to have the Wrist Temperature feature of my Apple Watch Series 10 set up and test it. I thought it would be amazing if the Apple Watch could do that, even if it’s not a feature Apple can advertise.
Apple would have to prove that the Apple Watch can predict illness cases, and it would probably want some sort of FDA approval before selling the Apple Watch as a device that can warn you that you’re about to get sick.
Unfortunately, the Apple Watch Series 10 didn’t predict my sickness. The symptoms came too quickly, and I was certain that I was fighting some sort of foodborne microbe. I didn’t need to look at the Watch to figure out my temperature was rising, as I was getting dizzy and experiencing abdominal symptoms.
Luckily for me, I had the right meds with me. I never travel without drugs for this particular type of scenario, so I took action immediately. I then set the Sleep Focus on early on Monday evening and went to what turned out to be a very bad sleep. That bug was doing a number on me, and the fever spiked throughout the night. I woke up for more meds, and I was already feeling better by early morning.
The Apple Watch Series 10 collected all the health data, and the iPhone promptly informed me the next morning that three health parameters were elevated during sleep: Heart rate, respiratory rate, and Wrist Temperature.
A look at the Wrist Temperature data shows that my temperature was more than 1.5C (2.7F) higher than usual. How high was the fever? The Watch has the data: 37.5C (99.5F).
Similarly, Gentler Streak warned me that something was wrong and that I needed to take a break. I fully agreed. I was in no shape to actually do too much. The fever was gone, but I was still feeling the effects of that battle.
As you can see from some of the graphs above, my health parameters returned to nominal values. My sleep has also improved significantly, and I’m ready to return to running.
I’m glad the Apple Watch Series 10 works great at keeping an eye on me and my health data, especially when I sleep. I’m excited about what will be available from future wearables once health sensors and algorithms become even better.
The Apple Watch SE 2 would have detected abnormalities in heart and breathing rates. However, it wouldn’t have performed temperature readings as it lacked the sensor. Also, it doesn’t feature a blood oxygen sensor. On that note, the Vitals feature told me I was getting enough oxygen. That’s an important factor to consider, as other infectious conditions might impact it.
I will mention the obvious caveats. First, I was lucky to catch the data connected to this bout of sickness. That’s because I spent more than a week setting the baseline for my Wrist Temperature. Again, the Apple Watch Series 10 is not a thermometer, and you can’t take fever readings on the spot. I wouldn’t have had the readings above without enabling the feature beforehand.
On the same note, you’ll need a proper thermometer for proper fever readings. I didn’t have one by my side while traveling, but I would have purchased one for regular, accurate temperature checks during the day. That’s another thing. Wrist Temperature only works at night.
Finally, the Apple Watch isn’t meant to be used as a diagnostic tool or treatment indicator/predictor. I would have sought medical help if I hadn’t gotten better. But I would have had data from the Watch to show a treating physician while explaining my symptoms.
