A woman has revealed how she was diagnosed with a heart condition after using a simple iPhone hack.
Caite Smith had a hunch something wasn’t quite right with her body.
But the 21-year-old brushed off her unusually fast beating heart as anxiety.
It wasn’t until she came across a video on social media urging people to record their heartbeat using the iPhone’s microphone and upload the beats per minute into the Health app that she discovered the actual reason.
The trick, which Caite says saved her life, saw her eventually diagnosed with Graves’ disease, an autoimmune condition.
Caite decided to upload a video of her heartbeats to TikTok, where she racked up 15.4m views and over 2.2m likes.
“When I first heard how fast my heart was beating, I was shocked and immediately felt that it wasn’t normal,” the bartender, from Merseyside, told Need To Know.
“After doing it a few more times, it confirmed to me that my heart was beating consistently fast.
“But being only young, I wasn’t sure what it could be – or how serious it was.”
Caite says her shirt would often move due to how fast her heart was beating.
However, an ECG carried out a few months prior didn’t reveal any abnormalities.
With her anxiety increasing daily, she stopped leaving home.
After coming across the trick in 2023, though, she began searching for answers to get her aforementioned diagnosis.
She said: “I honestly never suspected I’d have heart issues, especially as no one in my family has any history of health problems.
“I made an appointment and tried to explain that my heart was beating quickly and that I was getting dizzy when standing.
“I also had a flutter feeling in my chest, which was later confirmed to be palpitations.
“I struggled to explain it properly, so I showed them the videos.
“The doctor was surprised and even said it was interesting to hear it.
“He was both concerned and intrigued.
“I was advised to go straight to A&E, where I was referred for another ECG and blood tests.
“They also told me to avoid exercise in case I put too much stress on my heart; which was really scary to hear.”
Graves’ disease is where the antibodies stimulate the thyroid overproduce hormones.
It causes weight loss, heat sensitivity, tremors and anxiety.
Caite said: “I was terrified.
“I cried immediately after being told and had a panic attack.
“I was in complete shock.”
She was prescribed medication to lower her heart rate, followed by radioactive iodine treatment to destroy the affected thyroid cells and reduce hormone production.
But her battle was far from over.
She said: “My heart rate suddenly spiked and I was monitored overnight.
“I was told I couldn’t walk due to how fast it was beating and then I was hospitalised as my bloodstream had an excess of thyroid hormones.
“I lost a lot of weight during this time.”
Caite posted the video online in the hopes of raising awareness and urging people to do the same if they feel something isn’t right.
She added: “Without doing this, I would never have known my heart was beating as fast as it was and I would have been living thinking I was healthy.
“I wanted to share it to show that something that seems harmless or interesting online can sometimes have a deeper meaning.
“There have been a number of people commenting who have had the same issue, so it was nice to see that I haven’t been alone in what I’ve endured.
“If you’re trying it, I’d say do it in a quiet environment and while you’re resting.
“It’s easier to hear your heartbeat clearly that way.
“Just make sure not to press too hard with your phone.
“If you notice anything unusual or something that doesn’t feel right, it’s always best to get checked out by a professional.”
