Cardiologist Questions Family Practitioner

Will this harm my heart or any other organs in any way?

I am a 61 year old male, 6 feet tall, and 137 pounds. I am disabled and in bed most of the time. I use my laptop in bed with it on my chest or stomach for several hours at a time. I have a program on the laptop that measures the temperature of the laptop. The laptop runs at an average of 143 degrees Fahrenheit. I want to know, will the heat from the laptop harm my heart or any other organs in any way?

Male | 61 years old

2 Answers

That’s a good question . For your particular case I don’t know. However human body temperature should not usually be above 99 degrees. Temperature over 103 has been associated with hyperthermia and death. 143 degrees is way too hot but it’s an isolated area. Still I think there should be concern of potential elevation in body temperature and dehydration. You should probably limit the amount of time you are in contact with the device, take breaks between use for instance. Also you might consider an insulated surface between your body and the laptop to prevent excess heat transfer.

I have never heard of any cases of harm from using a laptop in the way you do but you don’t want to be the first. If microwave popcorn can cause severe lung damage, then anything is possible.
I suggest you place a metal or plastic plate and place your laptop on top of that instead if putting your laptop directly on the chest or stomach. The heat from the laptop can give off radiation since it mostly uses a wifi connection. 
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