Higher (lower) - elevation sports?

I've heard rumors and stuff about not being able to ski, snowboard, dive, etc. with a pacemaker. Oh yeah, and taking tours of dams? Is this true? I wouldn't do that anyway with my cold fingers and toes, but I was just wondering... :)

10 Comments

Dams and Diving

by FzyMtnMan - 2009-01-26 01:01:27

Hydroelectric dams should be avoided due to the EMI (electromagnetic interference) in and around the turbines. Upper decks of the dam and areas where there are no high voltage power lines should be OK.
As for diving, from what I remember, the limit is three atmospheres. During the manufacturing process the oxygen within the device is replaced with Helium prior to the device components being hermetically sealed within the housing. I beleive this is done to deter corrosion of the components.

How high do you want to go?

by BillMFl - 2009-01-26 12:01:09

I've been over 14,000 ft with mine last year and over 10,000 ft dozens of times over the past 7 years (airplanes don't count). Unless you live at high altitude year round, it is always best to acclimate for a few days at gradually increasing heights before you do major exertion. Last year in May on my way to Vail (Vail Village is above 10,000 ft) I spent about 4 days in Denver and Golden taking easy hikes at 5 to 6,000 ft. Living in Florida, I am a flat lander just above sea level. In Nov I was on top of Pikes at 14,300 and was breathing hard because of the thin air but no pm problems. Just take it easy at first and if you don't have other serious medical limitations, a pm should not be a problem.

altitude

by Tracey_E - 2009-01-26 12:01:58

They say we shouldn't do the tours inside the really big dams but others have done it. Can't say I really care enough to look into it, I never had a terrible urge to go tour a dam, lol

I think we can dive to 50M, pm's shouldn't go deeper than that.

Skiing and snowboarding, go for it! I usually give myself an extra day to get used to high altitude. My parents live at 7500, I live at sea level, so I usually just chill out and make sure I'm hydrated the first day I'm there. After that, anything goes- hiking in summer, skiing in winter. I can feel it above 10,000 ft (lightheaded and more sob than usual) but I think that's me more than the pm. I still ski that high, lol, I just take it easy and don't stay up that high very long. The lifts will tell you how high they go so I just stay off the ones that go too much over 10K. Lots of people have problems that high, it's not the pm!

party plans

by Tracey_E - 2009-01-27 01:01:18

So, 15 of us started out on the tour of the dam... 12 were fine, 2 got tipsy and only one had to be taken by ambulance...

test it out

by Tracey_E - 2009-01-27 06:01:19

Frank, let's have a pm club reunion party at Hoover and do an informal survey...

Terrorists

by ElectricFrank - 2009-01-27 10:01:45

I'm afraid one of us would fire our ICD and destruct their generators. Then we all would wind up arrested as terrorists!

frank

Thank you

by uvagershwin - 2009-01-27 11:01:09

Hey guys and thanks again for the input! TracyE, your last comment just made my day (even though it was directed toward Frank)!!! We really do need a union; it would wrong to call it a REunion, we've never all been together!! I think too hard... Anyway, I just wanted to know and I appreciate the comments. :) :) :)

Dams

by ElectricFrank - 2009-01-27 12:01:26

It's hard to say whether it would be a problem or not. I'm an electronics engineer and have been around a lot of equipment with no problem. The level of magnetic field required to switch the pacer into Magnet Mode is pretty high. The only problem with most dams is that the alternators date back into the 1930-40s. The older technology didn't contain the field as well as newer machines. I've been near large substations in the desert where I have been just outside the fence and within maybe 10' of a large transformer with no sign of problem. I'm 100% paced so I would certainly have noticed it.

frank

now we've gotta try it

by Tracey_E - 2009-01-28 07:01:58

I for one MUST know if Frank's theory is correct!!!! So, when do you wanna go? I know a lawyer we can drag along with us.

Lawyer

by ElectricFrank - 2009-01-31 01:01:41

As long as the lawyer has an ICD!

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