Advice on RFID blockers, headphones
DEAR READERS:
your letters:
› Hacked devices: A column that addressed the topic of hackers interfering with the proper workings of wireless medical devices, such as pacemakers, got a lot of response. Despite how easy television dramas and films make this type of hacking appear, it’s actually quite difficult. But if you’re worried enough to want to take preventative measures, a letter from a physician in Spokane, Washington, offers an interesting option. His inspiration comes from the range of RFID-blocking products now available to fend off electronic snoops and pickpockets. In this case, the answer is a special vest.
“The vest is lined with metallic mesh to block potential ‘pinging’ and the theft of personal information,” he wrote of a garment he saw in a travel store. “It occurs to me that these would also block Bluetooth and other RF signals being used to hack an internal medical device. It would be simple for a cardiologist to verify this.”
› Noise pollution:
In response to a column about how noise pollution adversely affects health, a reader from Oklahoma Time to respond to some of recommended noise-canceling headphones. Scan the selections from online retailers, like Best Buy, Amazon, Costco and the like, and read reviews posted by fellow shoppers. They can give you a good sense of what each product can (and can’t) do, and often answer detailed questions from fellow shoppers, all of which can help you to find the right device for your specific needs.
› Measles vaccine: A couple who are headed to Paris this fall ask whether they should get vaccinated for measles. Because you indicate that you both had measles as children, the answer is no. According to guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, you are considered to be protected from measles if you have either already had the disease or have already received the appropriate doses of the vaccine. Boosters of the measles vaccine are not needed. If you’re not sure whether you’re protected, you can find out with a simple blood test.
Elizabeth Ko, M.D., is an internist and primary-care physician at UCLA.
Send your questions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla.edu, or write: Ask the Doctors, c/o Media Relations, UCLA Health, 924 Westwood Blvd., Suite 350, Los Angeles, CA 90095.