Do you know anything about a heart pacemaker,?

Question

Do you have, or do you know someone who has a pacemaker to keep there heart beating properly?
If you do, Is there any side effects to having one. Any problems that you can think of.
I am going to have to have one fitted in the next few weeks, and I just want to know if there is anything that I should ask the specialist before I get it done.

Answer 1

You can ask :
1) about the time it will take for the Implantation of pace maker.
2)Life of the battery.
3) Limitation of physical activity.
4) All those factors/electrical appliances which effect in malfunctioning of the PPM.
5)Abnormal symptoms (physical) to make you alert that there is something wrong with the battery or heart e.g dizziness and pulse rate below 60 BPM etc.

PULSE RATE IS THE MAIN INDICATOR THAT YOUR PACE MAKER IS WORKING FINE "REMEMBER" PULSE BELOW 60 BPM IS NOT A GOOD SIGN.

Answer 2

I am 24 with a pacemaker. I got a pacemaker just before my 22nd birthday for congenital 3 degree AV block.

As for side effects, there can be complications arising from insertion such as a pericardial effusion and pericarditis (aparently less than 1% but I got it), and scaring.

Complications from having it? None really. I use my cell phone all the time, go on rollercoasters and everything else. The only time that I find it hazardous is when I play with small children that may bump it. Airport security is not an issue and doesn't take long. Canadian airports are better, they actually understand and are fast and very efficient...even patting your hair down! I have found American airports, particularly Las Vegas very rude and slow about requesting to be frisked. Stay away from generators too as they will override your pacemaker. When having aditional surgery request battery powered cautery be used if at all possible.

Just make sure you have a competent surgeon. I felt completely fine after, released 20min after surgery and had sex 4 hours later!

emedicine.com is a very good technical site about heart conditions.

Answer 3

First off, heart transplants are limited b/c you just can't make a heart. That makes heart transplants really expensive. Also, you immune system has to be pretty much depleted for it to allow a foreign organ to come into the body and work. Before transplant surgery, they put you on meds that slow down your immune system that way it will be more likely to not reject the new heart. During this time of immune depletion if the patient contract any virus or even a cold, it could kill them. Pacemakers keep the heart rhythm regular. Some people have hearts that skip beats or just stops all together. A pacemaker sends an electrical shock to the heart to get it pumping again. Valve replacements are used when patients have leaky valves.

Answer 4

Mate, if you need a pacemaker, you need a pacemaker
Can't get out of that one
Learn to know your pacemaker, what type it is?, where its going to be placed?, is it a dual-chamber? (activates both the top of the heart and the bottom), is it a "demand" pacemaker? that only turns on when you need it, does it also serve as a defibrillator? (most pacemakers nowadays do everything) that will shock your heart if it needs to. Most people dont have side effects from pacemakers, you can have bruising and pain after the surgery. But thats usually about it, as for checking it - each machines different and different machines are used to "interpret" them. Your heart doctor will fix all that up for you.
Good luck
ADD: your pulse rate does not determine how well your pacemaker is functioning, if you are dizzy and short of breath and have a heart rate of less than 60, be worried, but if your heart rate is less than 60 and you are walking around - i wouldnt be too concerned

Answer 5

Actually, taking cammomile tea regularly will help. But the best thing is to learn how to relax properly, in yoga the pose called savasana or corpse pose, a sugessted pose for a high blood pressure person. But if you have a hormonal problem in that, is another case. Should talk to the specialist( not just simply a doctor). But generally, yoga helps much of physical and mental problems.

Answer 6

well, you need to make sure that you check it regularly..for example whether it is doing the right thing..whether the battery is working, whether it is properly adjusted..has the right pace, the right position in your heart...then after a few years....whether it might lose its function or not and what to do if that happens....you probably can not have MRI as it might interfere with MRI machine...what else.....you need to take antibiotics for a few days before discharge from hospital...I think that would be useful if you know how many types of pace makes exist and how each one work....there is dual chamber and single chamber ones...you can search on google to read more about it...there are plenty of good information there....

Answer 7

Avoid some things such as microwave ovens.