Woman flying from Netherlands ignored Apple Watch alerts until landing in the U.S. — vowed never to remove it after hospital visit
Health warnings are often easy to dismiss until they prove important. A TikTok user who goes by @_kimberlinal_ was flying from the Netherlands to the U.S. when she received one such caveat. Her Apple Watch kept notifying her about her health. She believed the device was malfunctioning while she dealt with a regular headache and travel stress, and ignored the notifications. She shared the experience on March 13, 2026, and highlighted how a hospital visit changed how she viewed those warnings in retrospect.
@_kimberlinal_ And I need a new Apple Watch too! Cause once this series 6 I got dies on me, it’s onto the next. @apple #fyp #apple #applewatch #travelling ♬ original sound - Kimberlina
In the video, she explained that she experienced a severe headache during her trip back home and thought it wasn't serious. In her opinion, it was likely the hectic vacation or drinking that caused it. Once on the flight, she said the pressure in her head felt so intense, it seemed like it might explode. She added that the pain became so strong that she forced herself to sleep through most of the journey. During the flight, her Apple watch repeatedly warned that her heart rate was too high and needed urgent attention. It kept making alert sounds about every thirty minutes, but she ignored them because she assumed it was glitching. Even after landing in the United States, the notifications continued. So instead of going home, on a whim, she decided to visit the hospital. Doctors examined her and found that she had a fever of 105 degrees.
They later told her she also had the flu and an ear infection, which explained the pain and why her heartbeat was elevated. She realized the watch had been warning her about the same issue all along. She spent hours at the hospital before the doctors were able to bring down her heart rate. As someone who doesn't visit the hospital until something feels seriously wrong, the woman was glad that the persistent notifications led her there. She said if the watch had not kept alerting her, she likely would have gone straight home instead of visiting the hospital. After the experience, she made one promise — “I’m not taking it off,” she said, of her watch. Even though the incident took place a few years before, she still wears her watch to this day.
Many people delay checkups when symptoms seem manageable, yet small warnings can sometimes matter more than expected in moments like this. Technology cannot replace doctors, but it can sometimes encourage people to seek help sooner when something feels wrong. In another incident, a 70-year-old man woke up after his smart bed warned his heart rate had dropped too low during the night. He then checked the reading with his smartwatch and called his doctor after the watch also confirmed the alert. After being told to go to the hospital, tests found a complete heart block, a serious heart rhythm problem. Doctors quickly inserted a pacemaker, and later confirmed, “The patient’s symptoms abated,” showing how timely alerts can save lives. What seemed like a normal night had turned into a life-saving warning.
For more interesting content on health and lifestyle, follow @_kimberlinal_ on TikTok.
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