Living with a Pacemaker Your pacemaker will help you feel better by relieving symptoms caused by a slow heart rhythm. Having a pacemaker may also give you more freedom to do the things you enjoy. However, there are a few things you need to be aware of, so that your pacemaker works properly. Resuming daily activities Ask your doctor or pacemaker clinic technician how soon you can go back to your normal daily activities and hobbies. These may include walking, playing golf, gardening, driving, and returning to work. • Exercise Several weeks after surgery, you may be ready to do more strenuous exercise. Be sure to talk with your doctor before you start an exercise program. Types of exercise that are good for the heart include brisk walking, jogging, swimming, bicycling, tennis, aerobic workouts, and dancing. Avoid activities where you could get hit or fall on the area near your pacemaker. Activities to avoid include football, basketball, baseball, racquetball, soccer, and skiing. Also, avoid hunting if a rifle butt is rested on or next to the implant site on your chest. • Travel Once you have recovered from surgery, you will be free to travel with the pacemaker. If you plan to be away for more than 3 months, you should arrange with your doctor to see a specialist or clinic in the area you will be visiting. Get a copy of your medical records to take with you. • Your emotions It is natural for patients and their families to feel anxious about the pacemaker at first. Other feelings, such as fear, depression, and anger are normal, too. The good news is that these feelings rarely last for more than a few weeks. Most patients gradually adjust to having a pacemaker and are able to resume their normal daily routine. If such feelings last for more than a couple of months, talk to your doctor. Avoiding interference Things that use magnets or electricity have magnetic fields around them. These fields are usually weak and will not affect your pacemaker. However, strong magnetic fields can interfere with your pacemaker and may temporarily affect the way it works. • Items that are safe You can safely operate most household and office appliances that are properly grounded and in good working order. These include: Kitchen appliances such as microwave ovens, toasters, blenders, and electric can openers Radios, televisions, CD/DVD players, pagers, remote controls, garage door openers Hand-held appliances such as hair dryers and shavers (avoid holding against the implant site) Major appliances such as refrigerators, washers, dryers, and electric stoves Electric blankets and heating pads Personal computers, printers, fax machines, and copy machines • Items that can be used but should remain at least 12 inches away from the implant site Battery-powered, cordless power tools such as screwdrivers and drills Shop tools, such as corded drills and table saws Lawn mowers, leaf blowers Slot machines, stereo speakers • Things to avoid To make sure your pacemaker works properly, you should avoid the following: Large generators, electric motors, arc welders, and other large industrial equipment Radio transmitters, high-voltage power lines Magnetic therapy products, such as mattress pads, pillows, and massagers Maintaining or repairing any electrical or gasoline-powered appliances Leaning over the open hood of a running car Important: If you have questions about the safety of a particular appliance, tool, or activity, check with your doctor or pacemaker clinic technician. • Medical procedures Most medical procedures are not likely to interfere with your pacemaker. Some procedures, however, produce strong magnetic fields and should usually be avoided (talk to your doctor first). These include: magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), electrocautery, diathermy, lithotripsy, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), and radiation therapy. Important: Always tell any doctors or other medical personnel that you have a pacemaker. • Security systems It is ok to walk through security gates, such as those at airports and stores. The system will not harm your pacemaker. But it may detect the metal case around the pacemaker and set off the alarm. If this happens, show your wallet card to security personnel. However, hand-held security wands, such as those used at airports, may interfere with your pacemaker (because they contain a magnet). Show your wallet card to security and ask to be hand searched in place of the hand-held wand. At the entrance to stores and libraries, you may walk normally through anti-theft security gates. However, do not stay near the theft detection equipment. • Cellular phones A cellular phone can affect your pacemaker if the phone is held too close to it. This effect is temporary. Simply move the phone away from the pacemaker and the pacemaker will work normally again. When using a cellular phone, hold the phone to the ear farthest from your pacemaker. Do not carry the phone in a breast pocket or on a belt within 6 inches of where the pacemaker is implanted. (These precautions apply only to cellular phones, not to indoor cordless phones.)