Holter Monitoring
A holter monitor is a portable device that continuously monitors your heart rhythm. The device is a small, portable recorder that is worn on a strap over your shoulder or at your waist. Sticky patches (electrodes) are placed on your chest and connected to the recorder by thin wires. The electrodes pick up the electrical activity of your heart and transmit the information to the monitor for the information to be stored.
Many times an arrhythmia (irregular heart beat) will not occur during the brief period of an actual EKG test. If a doctor suspects an irregular heartbeat, he or she will want to record your heart rhythm over a longer period of time. A holter monitor keeps a record of the heart rhythm, typically over a 24-hour period, while the patient keeps a diary recording their daily activities and any symptoms they may feel. Upon completion of the monitoring period, the doctor will compare your heart rhythm recording to your activity and symptom diary.
Purposes of Holter Monitoring:
- Identify irregular heart beats
- Determine if the heart rate is beating too slow or fast
- Identify if an individual's symptoms, such as light-headedness, fainting spell, chest pain or shortness of breath, is associated with an irregular heart beat
- Monitor the effectiveness of how well medications or pacemakers are working