Do induction hobs interfere with pacemakers?

I have to take the blame for that one, Wavechange. I chose the image 🙁 What do you think of the new one? I have a gas cooker at home, so not too used to induction cooking.

Thanks Alex. 🙂

Electromagnetic radiation, whether from induction hobs, microwave ovens, mobile phones or LED lamps obeys the inverse square law, so the intensity falls off rapidly with increasing distance from the source. If you hold a portable radio close to an induction hob, you will probably pick up interference, which will decrease quickly as you move it away.

Microwaves don’t seem to be a problem, Mike. There may have been a problem with earlier models or it might have been a cautious approach, just like the early warnings about mobile phones.

I don’t know whether or not modern airport security scanners pose a risk, since the time of exposure is short. The embarrassment of setting one off is enough reason to avoid them.

Electric welders are definitely a problem for those with pacemakers, so braise the steak rather than weld it. 🙂

Hi Mike – anything that would emit an electromagnetic field could cause harm to those using a pacemaker.

Andrew – Modern ppacemakers are screened to avoid problems with electromagnetic radiation. The same applies to electronic equipment used in hospitals. I remember the warnings to turn off mobile phones, which have largely disappeared.

With some devices such as mobile phones it has been possible to decrease the electromagnetic radiation. Concerns about safety of phones, especially for children, have driven these improvements and while phones still emit radiation, our government no longer produces leaflets warning about the dangers. Those with pacemakers are advised to hold them on the opposite side of their body.

It is probably difficult to do much to reduce radiation from an induction hob, which depends on emission of electromagnetic radiation, apart from shutting off automatically when a pan is removed.

Close proximity to the source of radiation is the big problem, for example a mobile phone in a shirt pocket.

Hi I have been looking at this having lived with a pm for many yearss and just read a paper from Oxford university press, the smart money it seems is not to use the inductive jobs. I have just had a replacement pm from biotronic with no problems so far . The first one about 15 years ago was affected by interference but I would notice the difference in pacing behaviour and act on what was telling me. Lastly I have a pacemaker card that I show when needed so I don’t have to go through the scanners, usually just telling the guard is enough but at Paris airport they got annoyed that didn’t have the card with me on one occasion.
Hope this helps you discussion
Trev young

If a warning is needed, the obvious place is to put a permanent notice on the induction hob, in the same way that ceramic hobs have a ‘Hob hot’ notice or warning light.

I suspect that the warning is based on earlier designs of pacemaker combined with precaution.

BHF advises keeping 15cm away from a microwave oven.

I am not a great fan of the proliferation of signs as I think that people start to screen out the visual clutter. It is noticeable in France how much less signage they seem to be able to get by with on roads, and at ruins, and at beauty spots.

I was wondering about the proliferation of nut allergy signage and found this excellent document:
https://www.sswahs.nsw.gov.au/rpa/allergy/resources/allergy/peanutallergy.pdf

As far as I recall from my involvement with EMC, the purpose of the standards and associated tests was to set limits on radiated and conducted radiation to promote Electromagnetic Compatibility. So it laid down limits on the emissions of devices, limits that a potentially affected device should be immune to. The responsibility lies with manufacturers of devices to ensure they neither emit excessive levels, nor respond adversely to stated levels, of electromagnetic radiation.

You obviously don’t have a pacemaker. Great if the “responsibility lies with manufacturers”. Try proving liability after you have snuffed it. I am completely dependent on mine but never needed one before I was admitted to hospital. Lets just say some surgeons are better than others and a blue laser helps.

The point I was making was that devices have to be made and then type tested to show that they do not interfere with one another. Standards are their to ensure this is done properly. Without such standards it would be a disorganised free-for-all.

George – Thanks for this detailed post. That is a very good point about the leads being the Achilles heel when a modern pacemaker is exchanged for an older design.

My impression that the danger of electromagnetic fields may be overstated was because of I cannot find any heavily cited scientific paper or review drawing attention to hazards of household appliances.

The first article mentions the pacemakers with unipolar leads, as discussed by George. It suggests keeping 5-10cm away from an induction hob, though I’m not sure whether this refers to a bipolar or unipolar pacemaker. It’s the most useful information I have seen so far and mentions the need for the correct size pan with a flat base and placed correctly so that the magnetic coupling is good. I believe some of this is common knowledge, though I’m less sure that users will be aware that using the wrong pan or one in poor condition could mean more electromagnetic radiation.

The other article, which I had seen, does not mention induction hobs.

In old money, 5-10cm is 2″ to 4″. I would have thought that it is very unlikely the pacemaker would get that close at all easily. Would I be correct?

I attached the second article for interest as an aside.

I have not paid much attention to induction hobs, but having a clear white ring against the dark background would help with correct positioning of pans.

That would make sense, but George has pointed out the complication of fitting a new pacemaker that is better protected to existing implanted leads, which could result in greater sensitivity to electromagnetic interference than a newly fitted pacemaker.

The cautious approach would be to avoid installing an induction hob if you have a pacemaker, but that does not help those who have bought one of these hobs and then have a pacemaker fitted.

I hope those who have pacemakers or are about to have one fitted get the best available advice.

Electromagnetic radiation emitting devices are controlled by European standards to ensure that they emit below specified levels at specified frequencies. Devices that are susceptible to interference from radiation should be designed to withstand this radiation. That is why it is called EMC – Electromagnetic compatibility. I would presume this applies to pacemakers and other medical equipment. The issue may be at what distance from the emitting device the “receiver” can be before it is affected. One source suggested induction hobs have no effect if 5-10cm away; that seems much nearer than I would expect a pacemaker to be. BHF says 60cm. Any medical equipment experts out there to advise?