In India, more than 20,000 people get pacemakers every year to keep their heart beating rhythmically thereby helping it to function properly. Pacemakers are small computerized devices that can relieve symptoms like dizziness, fainting, shortness of breath, etc that are associated with irregular heartbeat or arrhythmia. After recovery from the surgery where the pacemaker has been implanted, they allow the patients to return to normal activity levels. In some fit patients, it can also allow them to return to exercising levels. But living with a pacemaker requires that the patients need to adjust to new realities. Here are some of the tips to live with a pacemaker.
Follow Post Surgical Care for Faster Healing
The pacemaker devices mostly are surgically implanted in your chest below the collar bone. In modern medicines, some new pacemakers are also implanted through a catheter through the femoral vein in the leg called Leadless pacemaker. If your pacemaker has been surgically implanted you may have pain which is normal as the body is beginning to heal and your doctor will give appropriate painkiller medicines. You will be asked not to do any hard or strenuous activities for 4-6 weeks after surgery. Check with your doctor on when to resume lighter activities because this can differ from patient to patient.
Never Stop Your Medicines Without Doctor’s Advice
Getting a pacemaker is not any indication that you should discontinue your heart-related medications. You should remember to take these medications as advised by your surgeon / doctor without fail. These medications and the dosage prescribed have close correlation to the pacemaker and the way it has been adjusted and programmed. If you have been prescribed medicines for other ailments that does not concern your heart, continue them too keeping your cardiologist well informed.
Your Pacemaker Site Should not get any Pressure
Pacemakers are implanted just below the collar bone and they cause a visible lump due to this. Any external objects like seatbelts, bra, etc. Any sport activity that is rough and can exert pressure or blow on the pacemaker site needs to be avoided. A padding over the pacemaker site can protect against the pacemaker.
Take Precautions while using Smartphones
Smartphones, generally, do not cause problems for patients with pacemakers. Despite this fact, it is not recommended to keep your smartphones in your shirt pocket that is nearer to the pacemaker site. When it comes to earphones or headphones, it is better to keep them away from the pacemaker site. Bluetooth headsets are a better option if you have pacemakers.
When a patient has been fitted with a pacemaker he/she needs to be ready for any emergency eventuality. If in the event any emergency happens, the patient may not be conscious and will not be in a position to inform the emergency health provider about the details of the pacemaker. Hence having the pacemaker ID card comes in handy. Your cardiologist provides you with a pacemaker ID card that has information on the type of pacemaker. Modern technology has been a boon on providing the information to emergency health providers in the form of medical apps installed on smartphones, medical alert bracelets, etc.
Always Carry a Pacemaker ID card
When a patient has been fitted with a pacemaker he/she needs to be ready for any emergency eventuality. If in the event any emergency happens, the patient may not be conscious and will not be in a position to inform the emergency health provider about the details of the pacemaker. Hence having the pacemaker ID card comes in handy. Your cardiologist provides you with a pacemaker ID card that has information on the type of pacemaker. Modern technology has been a boon on providing the information to emergency health providers in the form of medical apps installed on smartphones, medical alert bracelets, etc.
Never Miss your Regular Doctor Visit
After your pacemaker implant, you will be advised by the cardiologist to get a regular appointment to check the functioning of the pacemaker and your overall heart health. The cardiologist will advise you on the frequency of the regular visit and this is based on parameters like age, all medical conditions, etc. In this modern age, the advancement in pacemaker technology has ensured that data from the pacemaker can be sent remotely to your cardiologist. This collated data can help monitor your heartbeat and heart rate very accurately, and can help capture any anomalies real time.
Inform Other Doctors and Health Professionals You Visit that you have a Pacemaker Implant
Some medical tests are known to interfere with the activity of the pacemaker implanted. They include MRI, Shockwave lithotripsy used for removing kidney stones, Electro-cauterization that are used to reduce bleeding while performing any other surgeries, Ultrasonic scalers used by dentists, etc. For example, in the case of MRI scanner, the rapidly changing magnetic field within it may cause heating of the pacemaker leads.
If the patient is having any other surgical procedure done by another surgeon or dentist, they need to be notified and informed about the presence of a pacemaker or ICD. Some surgical procedures require that your pacemaker or ICD be temporarily turned off or set to a special mode. This turning off or setting to special mode has to be decided and done by the cardiologist who has performed the pacemaker implant.
Therapeutic radiations used for cancer treatments, can damage the circuits in your pacemaker device. With increased radiation doses, the risk significantly increases. That is why information to the cancer specialist treating the patient with pacemaker is needed.
Some medical tests like mammography can exert pressure on the pacemaker device fitted and can potentially damage it. Therefore it is imperative that you tell your other doctors, dentists or general healthcare professionals that you are fitted with a pacemaker device.
Do not go under a Metal Detector while you travel
It is generally safe for patients with a pacemaker implant to travel by car, train or flight. Whenever there is a security scanning, the chances of electromagnetic fields interfering with the activity of the pacemaker are slim. But prolonged exposure to these security scanning can cause a problem. Hand-held scanning wands can cause interference. The magnet inside the wand can temporarily change the operating mode of your device. Therefore, if a security person wants to hand scan, the patient needs to notify the security person that you have a pacemaker. The security person hence would make the scan search as brief as possible.
Let Your Doctor Decide if you can Exercise
Patients with pacemaker devices are advised not to do any strenuous activities which will include exercising and workouts in the gym during their healing period. On the advice of your cardiologist who has done your pacemaker implant, you can start exercising as per the advice. Make sure to strictly maintain the intensity of your exercise or workout as advised. Regular visit to your cardiologist should also be immensely helpful to monitor how you are doing with the pacemaker implant.
