A nurse practitioner from Virginia has taken to TikTok to share how an Oura Ring helped her take a sickness more seriously before she was diagnosed with cancer. Nikki Gooding, who “religiously” wears the device, recently noticed that some of its metrics looked drastically different than usual, prompting her to investigate further.
The Oura Ring provides insight into sleep, fitness, and stress, and Gooding said it had alerted her to “major signs” of something “straining” her body. Her readiness score was consistently low in the 30s and 40s, indicating a need for recovery and rest, and her body temperature was elevated.
Gooding revealed that she started experiencing symptoms such as fatigue and night sweats before discovering the ring’s alert. The device had tracked her body temperature, which spiked as high as 2.7 above her baseline, prompting it to ask how she was feeling.
The nurse practitioner credited the Oura Ring for making her take her health more seriously, saying that if she didn’t have the device, she may not have noticed her symptoms earlier. While the ring is not a medical device and should not be used for diagnosis or treatment, Gooding’s story highlights its potential to promote proactive health awareness.
According to Shyamal Patel, senior vice president of science at Oura, “Oura Ring is not a medical device and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, monitor, or prevent medical conditions or illnesses.” The company advises users not to make changes to their routines based solely on the data provided by the ring.
Gooding’s story is not an isolated incident. Other users have reported noticing changes in metrics after using the Symptom Radar feature, which has led some to seek medical attention for underlying conditions such as appendicitis.
Source: https://people.com/nurse-says-oura-ring-knew-she-had-cancer-before-diagnosis-11693393