Hairdryers and hand drills ‘hit pacemakers’

THOUSANDS of people fitted with pacemakers could be at risk from household devices such as hairdryers, electric razors and hand drills, a study suggests.

The electromagnetic fields generated by everyday appliances are sufficient to interfere with the devices’ ability to regulate the heart, researchers found.

Hundreds of thousands in the UK rely on a pacemaker to keep their heart beating, with 39,000 patients having one implanted every year.

The gadgets work by sending electrical pulses to the heart, ensuring it pumps blood with a regular rhythm.

People with pacemakers are advised to stay away from strong electromagnetic fields, such as those produced by induction cookers, and told not to linger near airport X-ray machines.

But the latest research, published in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation, suggests a far greater variety of implements could interfere with the devices in close proximity.

Researchers at Aachen University Hospital in Germany found that for each device, the field peters out within 12 inches, so most tools would be safe if used carefully.