A Holter monitor is a small, battery-powered medical device that measures your heart’s activity, such as rate and rhythm. Your doctor may ask you to use one if they need more information about how your heart functions than a routine electrocardiogram (ECG) can give them.
You wear the Holter monitor for 12 to 48 hours as you go about your normal daily routine. This device has electrodes and electrical leads exactly like a regular ECG, but it has fewer leads. It can pick up not only your heart’s rate and rhythm, but also signs of reduced blood flow to different parts of the heart muscle as well as irregular heartbeats, or arrhythmias.
If you’re already being treated for heart problems, wearing your monitor can help your doctor determine if your medicine is working or if changes need to be made. It can also help them to see why you might be experiencing other symptoms of irregular heartbeat, such as dizziness, faintness, or feeling like your heart is racing or skipping a beat.
After the recommended testing time frame has passed, you’ll return to your doctor’s office to have the Holter monitor removed. Your doctor will read your activity journal and analyse the results of the monitor in conjunction with our in-house Cardiologist – Dr Cheng Yee Goh. Depending on the results of the test, you may need to undergo further testing before a diagnosis is made. Wearing a Holter monitor is painless and one of the best ways to identify potential heart problems or other issues.
Holter Monitoring Now Available at Hamilton Island, Hardware Lane, Bangholme, Hastings & Carrum
