Pacemaker vs Chainsaw

[Sheepbreeder]

Twenty years of AF, 4 ablations, 3 CV's and then a nice Medtronic pacemaker in 2023 followed by ablation in early 2024. In a farming environment we generally just get on with things and don't take too much notice of all of the "informed" persons telling us what we can and can't do. I ride a quad bike around the farm every day, operate a wide range of machinery including an engine driven saw mill and continue to use a variety of chainsaws in the management of my woodlands which are currently badly affected by Ash dieback. Never experienced any issues with my pacemaker at any time. (My EP told me just carry on and if the pacemaker gets a bit out of line it will simply reset when I stop what I'm doing)

Last week getting a very big and diseased Ash tree down took a lot of close up work with my biggest saw. Afterwards I was aware that my HR was elevated and jumping around a bit (60 - 120bpm). An hour or two later all back to normal. I began to think that the EMI (electromagnetic interference) shielding that I had so carefully done inside my chainsaws was not fully adequate.

A couple of days later I'm at the QE (B'ham) for my annual pacemaker checkup which confirms everything is working fine and I have 10 years of battery left. I discuss my chainsaw interference with the very well informed cardiology nurse and she immediately says - "It wasn't EMI that set your pacemaker off but the vibration from the saw." We know that the pacemaker has an accelerometer which detects movement and uses this to influence the ventricular rate under certain conditions and it seems that the pretty high frequency vibration from a large chainsaw at full chat was interpreted by the pacemaker as some very energetic activity.

So, vibration and not electromagnetic interference in my case. This puts a whole new perspective on some of things the activities I undertake. Personal experience and not a recommendation to others to do what I do.

[BobD Volunteer]

Interesting and makes good sense.

[Jonathan_C]

Is your pacemaker set to help you during exercise? Some (maybe all) pacemakers have a setting that can make it respond to movement and it will automatically increase your HR when it detects certain movement as it "assumes" you are exercising and need your HR to accelerate.

[Sheepbreeder in reply to Jonathan_C]

The term pacemaker is a bit generic as there are many types used for different purposes.

As a farmer I don't have any time to exercise but I do have a lot of hard physical work 7 days a week. My atrial node is ablated (obliterated) so gets no pacing signal from my atria. Instead the pacemaker picks up the pacing signal from the atria and relays it through the second lead to my ventricle to contract. That is until my atria decides to go into AF which it still does sometimes. When the pacemaker detects the AF it ignores the atrial pacing signal and starts to generate its own pacing signal to my ventricle. The accelerometer and some other clever bits of kit in the pacemaker detect my movement and regulate my heartrate to keep up with what I'm doing. When the atrial AF passes then the PM will go back to using the pacing signal from the atria to regulate my heartrate. That's my understanding of how it works and I can keep going as I do. Mr or Mrs Medtronic might be able to elaborate further.

[Frances123]

I don’t have a pacemaker but I can’t stand next to my washing machine on a high spin as my heart doesn’t like the vibrations. At my village folk festival I can’t watch the parade as the vibrations of the drumming and any loud bass noise does the same. Im fine in cars etc but on a bus if it is stopped in traffic then the heavy vibration from the engine can sometimes have the same effect.

[KiwiBlake in reply to Frances123]

I too don't have a pacemaker, but live music, e.g. at a rock concert, I feel uncomfortable in terns of my heart, as if it is competing with the bpm of the music. Similarly if I have music up too loud at home or wearing headphones.

[Frances123 in reply to KiwiBlake]

Im fine with headphones. It seems to be any vibrations that affects the whole body with me. A Chainsaw would be a definite no no.

[Rainfern]

I enjoyed reading your helpful post and hearing how you’ve managed the AF over the years. Made me wonder if I should invest in a quad bike and chainsaw to maintain future heath!

[Tapanac in reply to Rainfern]

Weird maybe but I love power hosing the paving, but I was told by EP to avoid doing that because the vibration could upset my pacemaker

[anyatall]

Dear Sheepbreeder, wow, what a wonderful, interesting and powerful read, enjoyed it to the full with a smile. Given me the will to live and enjoy. Thank you.

[DawnTX]

you are amazing going on like you are I think that’s what we need to do anyway for the most part just live a normal life except for not doing things that causes triggers. My doctor told me I can do anything anyone without a problem can do. I don’t plan on joining the circus or anything like that lol but I don’t worry about everything before I do it I just do it now that doesn’t mean lift heavy things alcohol, etc. those would just be a personal choice if you like the feeling of a fib or flutter go ahead i’m not partial to them. That kind of makes sense about the vibration you sound so smart about what you’ve done with your equipment it sounds like you’re having a great life a normal life with quality and that’s what it’s all about. I don’t know if the stuff works, but also with some of the things that you handle there is actually a material that you can buy even on Amazon and it’s not expensive. It is to protect things like your pacemaker from what I saw. It’s a patch if I were still working, I would want on the inside of my shirts because I worked law enforcement, and my phone was always there. It’s supposed to help with the

I have never seen a post like yours so good to person smart about so much going on with their life so they can enjoy it. Best of luck with everything. drinks and eating too much can make my heart go crazy. We are all different. At least you figured your trigger out. Sounds like you have a great doctor. Big hugs. Best of luck.

[DawnTX]

something we all need to remember is the more we do things the your heart is going to work that’s normal even without issues as long as it goes back it seems to me what matters. When we wake up in the morning, no doubt it’s usually low. I am at 60 if I get up and take the dog out by the time I get back, it could be 90 but I can actually watch it drop when I sit back down. Your heart needs to keep up with what you’re doing from what you said did not sound especially with the things you do.

again, best of luck

I also have a Medtronic. It is a with an app, etc. they take transmissions whenever they want. If anything goes off, my doctor will know before I do. It’s amazing. They have even better now I think but someone on here called what we have the Rolls-Royce of pacemakers. Whatever it is, I’m happy I have it. You really wouldn’t know. I have one. I don’t have the big lump and you can barely see my scar. They did such a wonderful job. They have even newer stuff out now as I said my doctor is in Florida. I don’t know if I mentioned he’s actually director now also a professor among other things he has more letters after his name than the alphabet and he’s only new one I will be meeting is pretty much identical. The one I not always the favorite child because he is not a fan of more than once or twice if that probably cardio. He said the hospitals like it because they make lots of money very you find a doctor honest and wonderful as the one I had I miss him terribly and I’m praying that the new one is everything I’m hoping. I did a lot of research. I almost went to him when I first moved to Texas from Florida, but my asked me to meet the one that I had. I had a list of questions he gave answers before I got to ask I knew he was for to me. Our doctor is everything.