You may have heard that certain devices can impact or interfere with your pacemaker. Any devices emitting strong magnetic fields have the potential to disrupt the electrical signaling of a pacemaker and stop it from working properly. This is electromagnetic interference, or EMI.
But there is no reason to suddenly fear your cellphone or kitchen appliances! Let us alleviate any concerns by looking at the facts and any precautions to take with common electronic devices.
The Potential Impact of EMI on Pacemakers
Electromagnetic interference (EMI) is caused by electromagnetic fields, which can interfere with the operation of electronic devices. EMI can originate from various sources, including wireless communication devices, medical equipment, power lines, industrial machines, and even household appliances and small electronics.
Pacemakers themselves are small, electronic devices that integrate with the heart’s electrical system, sending electrical pulses via the device’s pulse generator to regulate the rate and rhythm of heartbeat. Because pacemakers rely on electrical signals to function, they can be susceptible to EMI, which may affect their performance.
The potential effects of EMI on pacemakers include:
Signal Disturbance
EMI can mimic electrical signals, leading the pacemaker to misread these as the heart’s electrical impulses that stimulate contraction, or heartbeat. This can skew the device’s ability to correctly sense and respond to heart rhythms, causing it to pace when it shouldn’t or fail to pace when it’s needed.
Mode Switching
Many newer pacemakers are designed to detect and manage EMI by switching to a fixed-rate pacing mode until the interference stops. While protective, the pacemaker isn’t designed to stay in this mode long term and this “fixed” mode may not adequately meet your heart’s pacing needs.
Temporary Malfunction and/or Permanent Damage
While rare, prolonged or intense exposure to EMI could damage the pacemaker’s circuitry. This could lead to you needing a replacement device sooner than anticipated. Constant signal disruption due to EMI could cause a temporary malfunction of the device’s sensing and pacing ability, in which case your electrophysiologist may need to reprogram your pacemaker.
Can I Use Electronic Devices with a Pacemaker?
While EMI may sound scary, you can still use common household appliances and small electronic devices if you have a pacemaker. The key is keeping certain devices a “safe distance” away from your pacemaker to lessen the risk of any electromagnetic interference with your pacemaker’s electronic signals.
Keep any devices with motors, antennae, Bluetooth, and/or magnets at least six to12 inches away from your pacemaker site. While it is doubtful you will be using your microwave or even your hair dryer this close, you may be using some devices closer to your chest (and pacemaker site) than you realize.
Safety Tips for Using Electronic Devices with a Pacemaker
Let us look at some common electronic devices and how to best use them:
Smart Phones, Smart Watches and Other “Smart” Wireless Devices
Your cell phone, smart watch, earbuds, and Bluetooth-enabled devices should all be kept at least six inches away from your pacemaker site. If you wear your smart watch on your left wrist, think about how often (and how close) you bring it up towards your pacemaker site (typically the left chest), especially while exercising. If you stow your phone and/or wireless earbuds in your left breast pocket, you may want to put them in your pants’ pocket instead.
Additionally, if your smartphone, smart watch, or other “smart” wireless device has wireless charging capabilities, you’ll want to keep it at least 12 inches away from your pacemaker when it’s charging wirelessly or being stored. The wireless charging technology utilizes powerful magnets that may interfere with or even disrupt your pacemaker’s functionality.
Magnets
Magnets within electronic devices help to generate the electromagnetic fields that can cause EMI. Magnets and magnetic-field-generating components can be in products you wouldn’t think to be magnetic, so always check product packaging for magnet warnings.
You want to keep magnets at least six inches away from your pacemaker area, though the magnets you put on your refrigerator pose a minimal risk. Neodymium magnets, which contain some of the highest magnetic properties, have the potential to interfere with pacemakers. They are used in a wide range of products—from jewelry and clothing clasps to speakers and headphones, even clip-on or old-school plug-in headphones. This is another reason why you should not keep your headphones in your left breast pocket or let them dangle around your neck to lay over your chest.
Microwave Ovens and Induction Cooktops
Older model microwaves have inadequate shielding and could cause EMI with your pacemaker. The combination of a modern microwave oven and today’s pacemakers is generally safe, but you should still avoid hovering over or in front of it to watch your food cook.
Induction cooktops, which use metal coils producing electromagnetic fields transferring the current to the bottom of a pot or pan to heat it while the rest of the cooktop stays cool, have the potential to cause EMI in pacemaker patients. However, past study findings were mixed and dependent on the grounding of the coils. It’s best to stand at least two feet away while cooking and do not hover or lean over the stove top.
Electric Razors
There is no reason to retire your electric razor, whether you are shaving at home or at a barber shop. However, an electric razor should not be placed directly over the pacemaker site. If you’re a “manscaper” who regularly shaves or grooms your chest with an electric razor, you may want to do it carefully, keeping the device at least six inches away from your pacemaker site, or switch to a manual razor for shaving around this area.
Other Household Appliances and Small Electronics
Most household appliances and small electronics will not affect your pacemaker. All the electronics listed below pose a minimal risk for disruption. But again, you should still try to keep all electronics with motors (like the above electric razor), magnets, antennae, or other signal-receiving devices (e.g. Bluetooth) at least six to 12 inches away from your pacemaker site.
- Modems and routers
- Computers
- AM/FM radios
- Mixers and blenders
- Toasters
- Coffeemakers
- Hair dryers
- Handheld back massagers
- Electric blankets
- Heating pads
- Irons
Machinery Equipment
Keep higher-powered, motorized devices (think cordless power tools, leaf blowers and edgers) at least 12 inches away from your pacemaker. If you are a gear head who works on anything with a motor, it’s best to keep all motor-generated systems and welding equipment at least 24 inches (or two feet) away from your pacemaker site and use proper shielding. Turning off motors while you are working on them is best to ensure there’s no electromagnetic interference. If you are using any power-generating equipment, like jumper cables, it is best to keep a two-foot distance between yourself and the clamps/battery.
When to Seek Expert Advice
Again, most of the electronic devices, tools, and appliances you use every day pose little to no risk to your pacemaker. Just be mindful of how closely you are using them. If you have any concerns about which devices could affect your pacemaker and how, the American Heart Association has assembled this guide. Additionally, you should have received a list or instructions on what devices you can and cannot use specific to your pacemaker. If you have any questions about certain devices to use or avoid, talk to your cardiologist or electrophysiologist.
Join The Pacemaker Club: A Community for Support and Information
While life after your pacemaker implantation may seem scary at first, living with a pacemaker does not mean you have to live less. Ultimately, it means you get to live life to the fullest now that the heart rhythm issues that once diminished your quality of life are being treated and managed by this high-tech pacing device.
As a pacemaker recipient, you’re a member of a special club—and there is an actual Pacemaker Club here for you! This online community is where people living with implantable cardiovascular devices can connect, share information, and support one another. As part of the ForHearts mission to provide life-saving cardiovascular devices to people in need around the world, we are excited to partner with the Pacemaker Club.
Join the Pacemaker Club to find resources and support for your pacemaker-powered life!
