Holter monitoring gives doctors a constant reading of your heart rate and rhythm. Most monitors are worn for a 24-hour period but can be worn up to 72 hours. The Holter monitor will record your heart rate and rhythm throughout the entire time you are wearing the monitor. You will be ask to keep a diary of symptoms that you experience during the monitoring period for your physician to review as well.
The Holter monitor is a recording device. These monitors are very sensitive and they can pick up the electrical impulses of the heart. The impulses are recorded by the monitor and give your doctor a recording of your heart’s electrical activity. After the wearing period, you will need to return the monitor to the office where it was applied and we will download the information to an offsite monitor service who will print all the recordings and send them back to your doctor for interpretation. We cannot see your heart rate and rhythm in real time here in the office.
The appointment will take about 20 minutes. A monitor technician will clean the areas with alcohol and then place a small patch on your chest. For men, the technician may have to shave some small areas of your chest. The monitor patch sticks to the skin with an adhesive gel. Continue with your usual activities. These monitors are water resistant, meaning you can shower with them on, however they cannot be submerged in water. After your monitoring time is over (24, 48, or 72 hours), remove the monitor yourself and place it in the clear bag that will be given to you when the device is applied, and return it to the office.
We are a professional association comprised of physician specialists and other health professionals dedicated to providing quality patient care in an atmosphere of genuine concern.
