How Will a Pacemaker Affect my Lifestyle?
Once you have a pacemaker, you have to avoid close
or prolonged contact with electrical devices or devices that have strong
magnetic fields. Devices for which close and prolonged exposure can interfere
with a pacemaker include:
- Cell phones
- iPods
- Appliances, such as microwave ovens
- High-tension wires
- Metal detectors
- Industrial welders
- Electrical generators
These devices can disrupt the electrical signaling
of your pacemaker and stop it from working properly. You may not be able to
tell whether your pacemaker has been affected. How likely a device is to
disrupt your pacemaker depends on how long you're exposed to it and how close
it is to your pacemaker.
To be on the safe side, some experts recommend not
putting your cell phone or iPod in a shirt pocket over your pacemaker (if they
are turned on). You may want to hold the cell phone up to the ear thats
opposite the site where your pacemaker was implanted. If you strap your iPod to
your arm while listening to it, put it on the arm farthest from your
pacemaker.
You can still use household appliances, but avoid
close and prolonged exposure, as it may interfere with your pacemaker.
You can walk through security system metal detectors
at your normal pace. You also can be checked with a metal detector wand as long
as it isn't held for too long over your pacemaker site. You should avoid
sitting or standing close to a security system metal detector.
Stay at least 2 feet away from industrial welders or
electrical generators.
You also need to avoid some medical procedures that
can disrupt your pacemaker. These procedures include:
- Magnetic resonance imaging (also called MRI)
- Shock-wave lithotripsy to get rid of kidney
stones
- Electrocauterization to stop bleeding during
surgery
Let all of your doctors, dentists, and medical
technicians know that you have a pacemaker. You also should notify airport
screeners. Your doctor can give you a card that states what kind of pacemaker
you have. Carry this card in your wallet.
Physical Activity
In most cases, having a pacemaker won't limit you
from doing sports and exercise, including strenuous activities. You may need to
avoid full-contact sports, such as football. Such contact could damage your
pacemaker or shake loose the wires in your heart. Ask your doctor how much and
what kinds of physical activity are safe for you.
Followup
Your doctor will want to check your pacemaker
regularly. Over time, a pacemaker can stop working properly because:
- Its wires get dislodged or broken
- Its battery fails
- Your heart disease progresses
- Devices giving off strong electrical, magnetic,
or radio waves have disrupted its electrical signaling
To check your pacemaker, your doctor may ask you to
come in for an office visit several times a year. Some pacemaker functions can
be checked remotely through a telephone call or a computer connection to the
Internet. Your doctor also may ask you to have an
EKG
(electrocardiogram) to monitor changes in the electrical activity of your
heart.
Battery Replacement
Pacemaker batteries last between 5 and 15 years,
depending on how active the pacemaker is. Your doctor will replace the
generator along with the battery before the battery begins to run down.
Replacement of the generator/battery is a less
involved surgery than the original surgery to implant the pacemaker. The wires
of your pacemaker also may need to be replaced eventually. Your doctor can tell
you whether you need to replace your pacemaker or its wires. |