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You may be asked to wear a Holter monitor if you have fast, slow or irregular heartbeats called arrhythmias. That’s why your doctor may want to evaluate your heartbeat over time while you go about your normal activities. But abnormal heart rhythms and cardiac symptoms may come and go. Regular electrocardiograms (ECGs or EKGs) let your doctor look at your heart’s activity at one point in time during your ECG test. I made sure the electrodes were on tight before I went to bed.” Sarah, age 62. “I thought wearing the monitor at night would be very uncomfortable, but the cord was long so I could put it on the nightstand.
The results of wearing a Holter monitor will help you and your doctor decide if you need more tests or medicines for your heart, or if you need a pacemaker or cardioversion procedure to restore a regular heart rhythm. This monitor has no risks and wearing it isn’t painful. If you have a pacemaker and feel dizzy, your doctor may use a Holter monitor to find out if your pacemaker is working properly. Or, your doctor may use it to see how well your medicines are working to treat these problems. You may be asked to wear a Holter monitor to see if you have a slow, fast or irregular (uneven) heartbeat. The Holter monitor and other devices that record your ECG as you go about your daily activities are called ambulatory electrocardiograms. It has wires with silver dollar-sized electrodes that attach to your skin. The device is the size of a small camera. #Heart monitor holter portable
National Hypertension Control InitiativeĪ Holter monitor is a battery-operated portable device that measures and records your heart’s activity ( ECG) continuously for 24 to 48 hours or longer depending on the type of monitoring used.
Institute for Precision Cardiovascular Medicine. Pets and Your Health / Healthy Bond for Life. No follow-up is required after holter monitoring. Depending on the results, further testing or treatment (e.g., taking medications called antiarrhythmics) may be advised. You will be advised to return to the hospital at a given time to have the recorder removed for analysis.Īfter the prescribed testing period is over, the recorded results are analyzed. Please carry out all your activities as usual except for bathing. It is a good idea to synchronize your watch with the timer on the recorder. You will be asked to keep a diary to record all your activities and any symptom with the exact time of their occurrence. Please do not remove the electrodes on your own during the recording. You will wear it continuously for 24/48 hours as requested by your physician. The electrodes will be connected to a recorder (the size of a small cassette player), which will be strapped around your waist. In the Holter hook-up room, surface electrodes will be placed on the upper chest. Wear loose fitting clothes when coming to the hospital. Take all your prescribed medications as usual and record them in the diary provided. There is no need for fasting or any other special preparation.
There are no risk factors associated with holter monitoring. This mode of monitoring is especially useful for patients who have very infrequent symptoms. When an extended period of monitoring is required, more specialized equipment called an "Event Recorder" can be used. Your doctor will compare the diary with the electrical recordings to help determine what triggers your symptoms. While you are wearing the monitor, you will keep a diary of your activities and symptoms. Wires from electrodes on your chest go to a battery-operated recording device carried in your pocket or worn on a belt or shoulder strap. Please use the following navigation menu or scroll down the page for information.Īlso known as an ambulatory ECG monitor, a Holter monitor records your heart rhythms for an entire 24 or 48 hour period.