Oura Ring warned user of illness before symptoms appeared, ZDNET writer says

Nina Raemont wrote for ZDNET that her Oura Ring's Symptom Radar flagged "major signs of strain" in her biometrics the morning she felt fine, a warning she initially dismissed.

Raemont said the ring tracks metrics such as heart rate, respiration rate, skin temperature and oxygen saturation and alerts users when readings deviate from their baseline. After she ignored the first alert and tried to stay hydrated, she developed a scratchy throat and then a fever of 100.7 degrees Fahrenheit. In subsequent days the app reported her body temperature, resting heart rate, heart rate variability and respiration rate were all out of range.

The ZDNET piece notes other users have reported early detections with Oura — including a nurse practitioner whose ring reportedly helped lead to a Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis, users who detected pregnancy, and one who was steered to a doctor and received an autoimmune diagnosis. Raemont added that while the ring helped spot her illness, a prompt doctor visit, flu shots and medication were what led to recovery, and that wearables can signal early signs but cannot prevent or stop the spread of illness.

She also reported checking the Oura app each morning to monitor trends like resting heart rate and HRV, and said Reddit posts indicate Symptom Radar is similarly detecting issues for other users during a busy cold and flu season.

Key Topics

Tech, Oura Ring, Symptom Radar, Nina Raemont, Wearable Tech, Heart Rate Variability