bluetooth headset

I have a LG Bluetooth Stereo Headset. The device fits around my neck. The left end of the device lays below my neck very close to my PM. Each of the ends of the device is magnetized to hold the ear buds when not in use. Will the magnetized ends adversely affect my PM?

5 Comments

My doc said no earbuds.

by terrythetech - 2013-02-03 01:02:38

Doctor and device nurse said no more ear buds around my neck. Magnets may put pm into test mode as thats how they do it. Made me put my cellphone on my belt and said to use opposite ear as it could drain battery prematurely.

bluetooth headset

by Mr Bruce - 2013-02-03 01:02:41

Thank you terrythetech. I will follow your advice regarding the ear buds. I keep my cellphone in my pants pocket and always use my right ear.

Hearing aids

by donr - 2013-02-03 02:02:43

I wear hearing aids in both ears. Have a device that hangs around my neck. Wire around neck is antenna for device. Hearing aids communicate w/ one another via FM. Signal is strong enough to affect a set of cat shoo-ing devices that daughter has in her house when I am about 4 ft from them & they sit on floor; do not affect my PM.

BTW - I use cell phone at left ear w/o effect on PM. Problem w/ cells is the magnet in speaker. Unless you place it right over PM, I doubt that it would affect PM. Over ear, it's at least 6" away from PM.

My experience w/ the hockey puck magnet that the Cardio uses is that unless it is right on the skin, directly over my PM that it does not communicate w/ PM.

The PM medical community runs from magnets like they were the plague. All magnets are NOT created equal. The most significant magnet to a PM host is a rare earth super magnet w/ max strength it can maintain. Magnetic fields drop off VERY FAST with increasing distance. So the fields associated w/ most magnets we come in contact with will not affect your PM.

You can quickly & safely test your PM w/ the devices you want to use. Slowly move them closer to your PM; monitor how you feel while doing it. Should you suddenly feel like your PM slips into the mode for testing, move the magnet away from the PM. You will feel normal w/i seconds. No harm or permanent changes will be made to PM settings.

Don

what don said!

by Tracey_E - 2013-02-04 03:02:38

The odds of a magnet in an ear bud being strong enough to affect a pm are negligible. And if it does, you'll know right away so just move it, no harm done. I clip my ipod right over my pm and run with my earbuds around my neck all the time, no problems. I also read in bed on my ipad complete with its magnetic cover. None of them are strong enough to put the pm in test mode. In 20 years of having a pm, and being a bit of a gadget freak and electronics geek, I've never found anything that affects it. I pace 100% of the time with a very low underlying rate, so I'd know right away.

Right On Don

by donb - 2013-02-04 08:02:25

Hi from the other Don!! Glad to see you jump on this fear of magnets. Good grief how so many patients are afraid of magnets. I'm sure many of our members use their husky test magnet to put their PM into test mode for phone checks. Does it not ring a bell when you're told to perfectly center the magnet over your PM site. Now if you really want a quick test of your magnet for strength slap it on your refrigerator or file cabinet. Over the past 21 years of 5 differant models of PMs' both Medtronic & St. Jude they all need maximum flux positioning to effect the operation of all my PMs'.
DonB

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