Key Takeaways
- Fitbit Inconclusive ECGs aren't always a cause for concern, though they can be a sign of irregular heartbeats or abnormal heart rhythms.
- To start, we'll show you how to take ECGs from your Fitbit that are less likely to result in Inconclusive.
- If you're still seeing Inconclusive ECGs, you may have an abnormal heart rhythm that's not detectable by the Fitbit ECG app.
Got other questions on your Fitbit Watch? See the complete set of Qaly guides on the Fitbit Watch:
- What High Heart Rate Means on Your Fitbit ECG
- What Low Heart Rate Means on Your Fitbit ECG
- How to Export Your ECG from Fitbit
- How to Read an ECG: Stanford Cardiologist Explains
- The Ultimate Cardiologist's Guide to the Smartwatch ECG
Introduction
The Inconclusive Fitbit ECG result is one of the most frustrating experiences when monitoring your heart health. In your frustration, you might be wondering, "What does Inconclusive mean on my Fitbit ECG?" Or you might be thinking, "Why does my Fitbit ECG keep saying Inconclusive?" In this guide, we'll help answer these questions, and we'll share some tips on how to take ECGs that don't result in Inconclusive. Let's dive in.
What Does Inconclusive Mean on My Fitbit ECG?
If you're getting Inconclusive ECGs, it could be due to any of the following reasons:
- The way you're taking your ECG is leading to a low signal quality.
- You have a low heart rate below 50 beats-per-minute or high heart rate above 120 beats-per-minute, which Fitbit classifies as Inconclusive.
- You have a pacemaker or implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD).
- You're showing signs of other arrhythmias or heart conditions outside of Sinus Rhythm, Atrial Fibrillation, Low Heart Rate, and High Heart Rate that the Fitbit ECG app isn't designed to recognize.
Other arrhythmias that might cause an Inconclusive ECG on your Fitbit watch include Premature Atrial Contraction (PAC), Premature Ventricular Contraction (PVC), Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT), and Ventricular Tachycardia (V-Tach).
So How Do I Avoid an Inconclusive ECG?
First things first, if you're having trouble with your Fitbit ECG not working, let's make sure you're taking a good ECG reading that's easy for your Fitbit to understand.
To do this, see if you're still getting an Inconclusive ECG after each of the following steps:
- Get comfortable and relax. If you take your ECG when your arms are shaking or moving, it can lead to an Inconclusive ECG. Sit down. Take three, long, deep breaths. Place your arms flat on a table or flat in your lap in order to minimize movement.
- Make sure your Fitbit fits snuggly. Your ECG's signal quality is low when your Fitbit is so loose that it doesn't touch your skin. Fasten your Fitbit so that it's both snug on your wrist, and so that the back of the watch is touching your skin.
- Keep your wrist and Fitbit clean and dry. Your sweat can interfere with the signal quality of your ECG. First, take off your Fitbit. Then, dry the area where you normally wear your Fitbit (for most people, this is your wrist, but for the curious or adventurous this could be your chest or ankle). Next, dry the finger you use to place on the side of the Fitbit watch to start your ECG. Last, dry your watch sides and the back of your watch to clean all of the sensors involved in taking your ECG. You're now ready to strap your Fitbit back on and take another ECG.
- Check your wrist orientation setting. If you take your ECG on the "wrong" wrist, it can confuse your Fitbit. From the Today tab in the Fitbit app, tap your profile picture > Sense tile > Wrist > Dominant. See which wrist you've selected. Then, confirm that your Fitbit is strapped onto that same wrist of yours.
- Distance yourself from other electronics. If you have electronic devices nearby that are plugged into an outlet, it can cause electrical interference with your ECG. If you can, try moving away from any electronic devices that are plugged into an outlet.
As always, if you're experiencing symptoms, or if you see signs of abnormal heart rhythms, contact your healthcare provider as soon as possible to rule out underlying heart conditions.
Conclusion
Well, that just about wraps up our guide on what an Inconclusive ECG means on your Fitbit. We hope this could be of some help to you.
If you're still getting Inconclusive ECGs or if you need help interpreting your Inconclusive ECGs, don't worry, we understand how frustrating and confusing it can be to experience them. That's why we created the Qaly app for you and for the hundreds of millions of people around the world who experience irregular heartbeats and abnormal heart rhythms. On the Qaly app, human experts will interpret your Fitbit Inconclusive ECGs within minutes for clarity and peace of mind.
To get started with the Qaly app, grab the Qaly app from the App Store or Play Store today. If you have any more questions, or if you need our help in any other way, don't hesitate to reach out to us at support@qaly.co.
As always from the team at Qaly, stay heart healthy ❤️