Hold the (cell) phone...but not too close, High-tech tips for cardiac device users

Electrical and strong magnetic devices can interfere with signals put out by pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs). But you probably won’t need to surrender your cell phone; simply hold it up to the ear that’s located farthest from your cardiac device, and when the phone is on, don’t keep it in your shirt pocket.

You’ll have to ask your doctor what falls within and outside your personal safety zone. Here’s some typical advice for cardiac device users in general:

• Use your microwave and other household appliances, but avoid close and prolonged exposure.
• Walking through a metal detector at the airport or elsewhere shouldn’t present a problem, but don’t sit or stand too close to one. If a screener is using a metal-detecting wand, explain that you wear a pacemaker or ICD, and instruct him or her to pass the wand over the device as quickly as possible.
• Stay at least two feet away from electrical generators and industrial welders.
• Minimize your exposure to high-
• tension wires.
• Wear iPods as far as possible from your cardiac device.

When you talk with your doctor, ask for a card that states what kind of pacemaker or ICD you have. Keep the card in your wallet and show it to every healthcare provider before undergoing any tests or procedures. Keep it handy for those security checkpoint staffers, too.