We recommend to stop measurements, during an acute illness and while taking medication. The reasons are:
illness and medication can significantly affect HRV
results may improve or worsen unpredictably
the app may then generate inappropriate recommendations and the long-term trends may not reflect reality
During the acute phase of illness, the body is battling an illness, that can distort measurement results.
Why illness distorts results
During illness, various reactions occur in the body, such as activation of the immune system, increased body temperature, and others. These processes can either increase or decrease HRV. In some cases, during the acute phase of illness there may be an increase in parasympathetic activity, which can also increase HRV. This may lead to a false positive result that does not reflect your actual health condition.
How to recognize an approaching illness
One of the strongest features of Elonga is that it can be very helpful in predicting acute illness. Before the onset of illness, the following often occurs:
A typical signal is a repeated decrease in readiness without a clear reason for few days in a row. Thanks to this, you can adjust your routine, add more rest, and potentially prevent the illness from fully developing.
Measurement during and after acute illness
If major symptoms appear, such as fever, flu, tonsillitis, sore throat, etc., we recommend completely stopping measurements and returning to them after the main symptoms subside. Elonga will then help you gradually return to your normal routine without overloading the body, while also allowing you to monitor your recovery in long-term trends.
Summary
Before illness- Elonga may detect a drop in HRV
During illness- it is better to stop with the measurements
After illness- measurements help track the return to normal conditions
