TachyMon

What is TachyMon?

TachyMon is an Apple Watch app that monitors your heart rate and alerts you when it reaches a certain number of beats per minute (BPM) or when it increases (or decreases) a certain number of BPM above (or below) a recent average. TachyMon now features a companion iPhone app where you can review more detailed information of the monitoring sessions run on your watch.

TachyMon was created by the developer for his niece Alex, who was diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) in the fall of 2021. POTS seems to be an increasingly common diagnosis, especially for young women. People with POTS often experience fatigue, brain fog, rapid heartrate increases and other symptoms. Alex was experiencing frequent fainting (syncope) and we noticed the fainting occurred when her heart rate increased rapidly, or when her heart rate reached a certain absolute threshold (150 BPM in her case).

So TachyMon generates alerts for these changes in heart rate. You can set custom alert levels for both absolute BPM and relative BPM changes. Alex finds that the Watch alerts help her to sit or crouch down when her heart rate is elevated, and this helps her to avoid fainting, and to feel a bit more in control of her POTS.

It is a simple, but specialized app, and we hope it may help others with POTS, or people in other situations when it may be useful to monitor heart rate changes.

PLEASE NOTE: it is important to consult with medical professionals if you are concerned about your heart health. The TachyMon app is intended for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for specialized medical care.