Oura Rings offer round-the-clock health updates with a little bit of glamour, but is it all too good to be true?
TikToker Sonam (@sonam_says) has gone viral after sharing her troubling experience with the popular product.
She begins this clip, which has amassed 18,200 views, by saying, “I used to wear an Oura ring, and I don’t anymore, and I’ll tell you why.”
Why did she stop wearing her Oura ring?
“So many of you have recently found my old video on it, probably because of the Palantir U.S. government news, and also because they’re launching a new ring.”
The previous video in question consists of an image of a very red, swollen finger with an Oura Ring on it.
“So here’s what happened,” she said. “Mind you, this is my second Oura Ring. My first ring was in the exact same size. It flew off my hand one day when I was just like, out dancing, and I lost it. So I bought a new one. Told myself that it was just gonna be loose, and that’s OK.”
She then detailed how she woke up one day while visiting her family with an inflamed “balloon” finger.
“We tried all the home remedies and eventually went to the ER, and they couldn’t use their ring cutters on me because the ring is way too thick,” she explained. “[They] also said they couldn’t drill through it because it would take too long and may cause nerve damage. Really, my only option was for them to submerge my hand in ice water and numb my hand so that I couldn’t feel it. And then they went and threaded the ring off.
“I thought maybe I had an allergic reaction to the ring, but they said, ‘No, that’s not the case. ‘They just said that you shouldn’t be wearing rings to sleep. I was like, ‘This is a sleep ring.’ So if you have one, stay vigilant, if not for your data, but for the safety of your fingers.”
@sonam_says I’m all for health tech and data – but this one came with a plot twist I didn’t see coming ? TLDR: don’t wear it to sleep, and maybe… stay vigilant ? @ouraring #OuraRing #WellnessTech #Biohacking #SleepTracking #rednailtheory ♬ original sound – sonam_says
This isn’t news to some
One commenter wrote, “I put it on a smaller finger at night and put it back on the regular finger when I get up.”
Another added, “Your fingers can swell when sleeping. [You’re] never advised to wear rings to bed.”
“Previously, the reason I would never buy it is because I’ve lost weight enough in my life to need another ring size,” a third shared. “Now I have a second reason.”
A couple of commenters could also relate to Sonam’s experience.
“I actually had an allergic reaction to the ring,” said a fourth. “I wear rings all the time and I’ve never had an issue like that before just with the aura ring I think it was like the four or the three whichever one came out.”
“Woke up one day and my wedding ring finger was swollen and my ring was hard to get off,” a fifth noted. “Had to use soap and water. Gave me anxiety for sure.”
The issue is common
Clearly, Sonam’s experience isn’t unique. Countless Reddit users have also reported similar ailments that developed after they started wearing Oura Rings.
In the comments, fellow Redditors, including what appeared to be Oura’s official Reddit account, suggested trying soap and water to reduce swelling.
“Use cold water and gentle soap to wet your finger, and slowly twist the ring to remove it,” the account wrote. “Hold your hand up above your heart until the finger swelling is reduced, and then try to remove it.”
“In cases of emergency, discomfort, or if you can’t remove the ring yourself, seek immediate medical attention.”
The Mary Sue reached out to Oura Ring via email and to the creator for comment.
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