Apple products, magnets and pacemakers

I am going shopping tomorrow !

by Gemita - 2022-11-27 18:50:45

Bionic Beat, I hope to buy a new iPad and iPhone tomorrow if they have them in stock.  Have a look at the following PDF link which gives reassuring advice.  I know several members here who have new iPhones and iPads and providing we observe the safe distance rule, we should be fine.  I am not going to deprive myself and put this off any longer:-

https://www.heartrhythmjournal.com/action/showPdf?pii=S1547-5271%2821%2902334-1

I do not have an iWatch, but I do not believe it would be useless because you are in constant AFib.  In and out or paroxysmal AFib might confuse it a bit more, but a persistent or permanent irregular heart rhythm like AF should not be difficult for your iWatch to identify, nor would high and low heart rates be a problem, or irregular rhythm notification, ECG recordings, blood oxygen levels or whatever else it stores.  Enjoy your purchases

iWatch (or any other)

by AgentX86 - 2022-11-27 22:16:01

My basic question is why? Particularly with permanent (long-term persistent) Afib, what benefit would a watch be if it could tell that the wearer is in Afib?  He knew that. If the problem is paroxysmal or persistent Afib, I can see using it to know when to use the "pill in the pocket" treatment. Maybe. If the AF is symptomatic, AF is obvious.  If not, does anyone really care? If there is a chance of AF and also an increased stroke risk (CHADS2), anticoagulation is needed whatever.

Yes, I chased my AF and AFL around too but came to the conclusion that I was wasting my time and unnecessarily obsessing over it.  I knew when I was in AF, then AFL.  I didn't need a watch to tell me that I couldn't sleep because my heart was playing with a calypso band. I use a watch (Samsung) now just to count steps but I really don't need it but it is motivation.

A heart monitor can be useful to send EKGs to your doctors but I'd want a six-lead model (e.g. Kardia 6L) for this.

My only warning is not to get too obsessed about what you're heart is doing every minute of the day.   It will drive you nuts.  There are better ways to spend our time.

Sorry, I just wanted to add: Don't worry about the watches, iPads or whatever.  There's nothing there that's dangerous if you take just a little caution.  The issue with the phones was ICDs and I don't think anything was proven there.

iWatch

by Gemita - 2022-11-28 04:04:56

AgentX86, I understood Bionic Beat’s specific question on iWatch was more about establishing whether the health features available on the iWatch would actually work "effectively" in the presence of an irregular rhythm like AF?  

Bionic Beat I know several members who find their iWatch health features extremely helpful (and accurate) during workouts even in the presence of an irregular rhythm like AF.  I am sure you will not be disappointed with the new iWatch or find it useless.  Hard to imagine an Apple product being useless and I hope you will return and update us in due course on its many benefits for tracking your activities   I will let you know about my experience with a new iPhone and iPad too especially with the new MagSafe charging system.  I will keep an eye open for any possible unwanted symptoms but I certainly won't be expecting them, especially if I don't rest my devices directly against my pacemaker

Bionic Beat

by Gemita - 2022-11-29 04:21:07

Well my shopping spree didn't quite go according to plan yesterday.  I have to wait for the new iPhone 14 Pro since it wasn't in stock at my nearest Apple Store and they told me it might not be available online until end of December either.  I am happy to wait since my old iPhone 7+ is still working well.  Also I came home with a laptop MacBook Pro 13" instead of a new top of the range iPad, so I don't have any inbuilt magnets, but I feel it was probably a better choice for me, especially cost wise.  I was also given a £200 gift voucher for being such a good customer which can go towards my new iPhone.

Hope all goes well for you

Apple toys

by Tracey_E - 2022-11-30 20:45:48

I replied the other day but it didn't post.

All of them are safe for us to use. The only caution is if you get a phone 12 or newer, don't have it directly over your device, such as in a pocket. That said, I was running the other day in leggings without pockets and tucked it in my bra, just like I used to, forgetting I have a new phone now and that's a no-no. Nothing happened. I pace every beat and it did not interfere with my run. But it can't hurt to be careful. 

I've found the heart rate on it to be extremely accurate as well as O2 sat. I only used the ECG once when it was new, playing with it, so no comment on that. If you are in afib a lot, you might want to turn that feature off so it doesn't beep at you all day long telling you something you already know. 

I mostly use mine for other things, not health related. My husband bought it for me for safety because I can make calls on it without my phone, because it drives him crazy that I will go run without my phone. I can push two buttons on it and call 911. It plays music when I run, also my running and interval apps. Check texts without pulling phone out. Answer a call when the phone isn't handy. My nephew took a family picture on Thanksgiving by propping his phone on a ladder, using his watch to make sure we were centered and to take the picture remotely. I have it set with weather forecast and heart rate on home screen. It's basically an extension of your phone, it will run most phone apps.