Your doctor might suggest that you undergo a Holter monitor test in case he or she is concerned about an abnormal heart rhythm. This is a tiny wearable device that monitors the electrical activity of your heart over a long duration of time either 24 to 48 hours, to identify any irregular readings that may not be recorded in a regular ECG.
We feel that, at Texas Direct Primary Care, knowing what to expect on your test can help you feel more at ease and even more confident. If you are getting a 24-hour Holter monitor test or require a Holter monitor to assess your heart, being acquainted with the procedure will make it easier to tackle.
A Holter monitor is a handheld device that keeps a constant track of your heart rhythm. As opposed to a short ECG showing only a few seconds, a Holter monitor takes a longer period to monitor the heart activities and therefore, doctors can detect problems that are not persistent.
Dizziness, palpitations, chest pain, and unexplained fainting are some of the symptoms that you may experience; a heart assessment using a Holter monitor will assist in determining the cause. Most of the time the patients are given the device and requested to proceed with their daily routine activities with the device.
A 24-hour Holter monitor requires attaching electrodes to your chest which is linked to a small recording device that you either wear around your neck or clip onto your belt. The device captures each beat of the heart over 24 hours (or more depending on what your doctor advises you).
When using the monitor, you can also be required to maintain a diary of the activities you are doing and your symptoms. This assists doctors in comparing the activity of your heart to what you were doing at that moment e.g. whether palpitations occurred during exercise, rest, or stress.
Physicians advise the use of a Holter monitor for heart assessment if:
● You get an irregular or fast heartbeat.
● You faint or feel dizzy for any reason.
● Other tests (such as a regular ECG) had not revealed the problem.
● You are under surveillance when you begin new heart medication.
A Holter monitor can identify arrhythmia, a silent heart attack or any other rhythm disturbance that may need treatment. At Texas Direct Primary Care, we take the patients through each process including the fitting of the device and an interpretation of the results.
A 24-hour Holter monitor does not require much preparation:
● Dress in loose comfortable garments so that electrodes can be applied easily.
● Do not put oils or lotions on your chest before the test.
● Electronic devices (such as electric blankets and microwaves) should be kept away.
● Your doctor will provide special instructions such as whether to take your usual medications throughout the test or not.
A Holter monitor fitting process occurs in approximately 1520 minutes. After the electrodes are fitted, you will have to carry the device along with you during your daily routine activities except bathing, swimming, or showering because the device is not waterproof.
On the 24-hour Holter monitor test, you will:
● Do your normal thing.
● Keep symptoms (such as dizziness or chest pain) in your diary.
● Avoid the activities that may cause dislodging of the electrodes.
● Once the period of monitoring has ended you will take the device back to your clinic where the results will be studied.
A Holter monitor for the heart is non-invasive and safe to be used to assess the heart, there are no electrical shocks or pain. Nonetheless, in a few patients, mild skin irritation when using the electrodes may be experienced.
The downside of the device is that it only records when you are wearing the device: in case your heart symptoms are very rare, then longer-term monitoring might be suggested.
After your test has been carried out, your physician will examine the data recorded to see how abnormal your rhythm is.
Missed beats, or other heart disorders. Our patients at Texas Direct Primary Care being provided with a proper explanation of their Holter monitor results, and what further steps in diagnosis or treatment may be needed.
A Holter monitor is a useful device to reveal the heart rhythm issues that may be overlooked in a normal ECG. Be it a 24-hour Holter monitor or a long-term study, it is a painless, easy-to-conduct and very effective procedure that can lead to the detection of underlying heart problems.
No matter where you are in the process of using a Holter monitor to check your heart health, at Texas Direct Primary Care we will help you understand your heart better and feel confident in your path toward heart health.
No. It is not waterproof and you should not take a shower, go swimming or bathing until you take it off.
It is wearable in general but you might feel the position of the electrodes on your chest. Minor and short-lived skin irritation is common.
Note how and when you feel the symptoms in the diary you will be given so that your doctor can compare it with the heart activity recorded.
The waiting time is usually just a few days and our experts at Texas Direct Primary Care will discuss the findings with you in detail.
