Blue Tooth Headphones

I am the recipient of a Medtronics PaceMaker, implanted about two weeks ago. I am grateful! I run a couple of businesses, and spend lots of time on the phone. My headset of choice has been an LG BlueTooth device that lays on my shoulders around my neck. It then has earbuds that rest in each ear in typical earbud fashion. The device itself has a magnet in each end for "storing" the buds when they're not in use. The magnets are very weak, just enough to hold a nearly weightless earbud, but they are magnets none-the-less. My Medtronics manual says there must be a minimum of 6" distance between my PaceMaker and a BlueTooth device. In my case there is barely any distance at all. However, I still see conflicting information. I saw a similar question by another PaceMaker user who seems to be using be same device Blue Tooth device, but I'm not sure I understood the answer. Should I or should I not use these particular headphones? What do you think?

4 Comments

Try it

by Theknotguy - 2013-12-21 03:12:04

Most of the comments you see on this forum are where people have tried things and aren't having any problems. If you look around the forum you'll see people running short wave radio stations, doing electrical work, and arc welding even though they have PMs.

I use my blue tooth in my left ear which is the same side as the PM. I also use my cell phone on the left side. No problems with the PM. I've got some old, large earbud earphones I use all the time with no problems.

Based upon what you've indicated above I don't see a problem using the earbuds. They should be far enough away and not have a large enough magnetic field to impact the PM.

Because we are a litigious society a lot of the manuals tell you to avoid scenarios so they cover their a** in case something weird happens.

So unless you plan to put a large magnet over your PM or stand in front of a radar dish while it's working, I wouldn't be to concerned about the effect of the smaller magnets.

Of course if you start to feel funny, get away fast!

Theknotguy

Best thing I can tell you...

by MelodyMarch - 2013-12-21 03:12:18

Is to try it and see how it works out. If you suddenly feel like you used too pre implant, or a zombie or extra palpitations then you know that it affects the pacemaker, and you have to figure something else out.

If there is no change then you are probably good to go. I personally have not had any issues with any sort of tech device yet, and I break the 6" rule all the time. My school ID is one of those magnetic chip ID's and I don't even have issues with that. I also have a St. Jude and each of the brands have their own quirks.

Hope this helps!

MelodyMarch

Radar dish

by PMRobert - 2013-12-21 04:12:13

Darn.....I have to get rid of my radar dish...all of them?...or at least not stand in front of it/them? I'll be on the lookout for zombies as well.

Thanks for the input .

cya world

by Tracey_E - 2013-12-21 05:12:03

You can keep the radar dish, just don't sit in it :o)

You will find that for every warning aimed at us, maybe 1 in 100 needs to be taken seriously. I've been paced for almost 20 years now. I was cautious at first but now am more than a little blase. I am an electronics geek, my husband is into ham radio. We had wireless router and cell phones when no one had heard of them, I got one of the first kindles, I read in bed with my ipad on my chest with its magnetic cover, I talk with my cell phone squeezed between my left shoulder and ear, I run with my ipod clipped over my pm and ear buds, my name tag at church is magnetic... I have never once had a problem.

Rule of thumb is 6". Practically, new pm's are so well shielded that the chance of consumer electronics messing with it are almost nil, even at less than 6". Worst case, you get near a magnet strong enough to pull the switch closed and put it in test mode, you feel funky until you get 6" from it, at which time the switch opens and it goes back to full function. Industrial magnets are the ones we need to take seriously, not the itty bitty ones in most gadgets.

You know you're wired when...

You make store alarms beep.

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