Living with a Pacemaker: 4 Tips to Know

A pacemaker is a resource for improving your quality of life when you have arrhythmia, heart blockage, or heart failure. Once your pacemaker is in place, consider your daily habits to ensure it functions as it should.

Chinatown Cardiology, with four New York City locations, offers comprehensive heart care, including diagnostic testing and treatment options for many heart conditions.

Our expert cardiologists also perform pacemaker implantation surgery for conditions that medications and other therapies can’t treat.

An overview of a pacemaker

A pacemaker is an implantable medical device that sends electrical signals into the heart to regulate its rhythm. The device can increase your heartbeat or slow it down, depending on your condition. It activates only when it detects an irregular heart rhythm.

We implant the pacemaker’s pulse generator under the skin, usually near the collarbone. The generator is a small, battery-powered metal box that controls the electrical signals sent to your heart.

Connected to the pulse generator are flexible lead wires placed in the chambers of your heart. The electrical signals travel through these insulated wires and into your heart when its beat is irregular.

Why you might need a pacemaker

The heart’s electrical system controls its beat. Signal dysfunction can occur if the heart muscle is damaged by disease, congenital defects, or certain medications, including beta blockers.

The most common reason you might need a pacemaker is bradycardia, a heartbeat that’s too slow or pauses between beats. Bradycardia can cause symptoms that interfere with daily life, including dizziness, shortness of breath, fainting, and chest pain.

Our team may also recommend a pacemaker if you have tachycardia, a heartbeat that’s too fast, or conditions like:

Congenital heart defects
Heart attack
Heart failure
Heart transplant
Ventricular fibrillation
Sick sinus syndrome (SSS)
Atrioventricular (AV) heart block

The goal of a pacemaker is to ensure your heart continuously beats at a sufficient rate to prevent additional complications. We use the latest pacemaker technologies that automatically match your heartbeat to your physical activity levels so you can stay active.

4 tips for living with a pacemaker

Chinatown Cardiology offers educational resources to keep your pacemaker working. Here are four quick tips to follow after getting a pacemaker:

1. Keep up with routine cardiology visits

Expect to meet with our team several times yearly to have your pacemaker checked. We make sure the battery and wires are working as they should. Additionally, we can reprogram or complete software updates on your pacemaker as needed.

2. Be mindful of electronics

Certain electronics and objects with strong magnetic fields can interfere with a pacemaker and cause it to stop working.

Our physicians provide a list of devices to avoid close contact with, including certain household appliances, metal detectors, cellphones, and electronic cigarettes.

3. Carry your ID card

Medical technologies like MRI and shockwave therapy can affect the function of a pacemaker. Alert other health care professionals about your pacemaker before undergoing diagnostic testing or medical procedures.

Carry a pacemaker ID card to alert doctors or security officers to your pacemaker.

4. Know how to recognize pacemaker issues

If you experience any changes in your health, such as heart palpitations, chest pain, or shortness of breath, report it to our team right away. These symptoms can be warning signs that a pacemaker is failing or needs to be updated.

Call the Chinatown Cardiology office near you to learn more about life with a pacemaker, or request a consultation online today.