Tips for Managing Multiple Prescriptions
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5 Reasons Your Doctor Suggests a Holter Monitor
When something feels off with your heartbeat, it helps to get a quick snapshot of your heart’s activity. That’s where a Holter monitor comes in.
This small, wearable device records your heart’s rhythm continuously over a day or two, giving your medical team a clear picture of how your heart functions during your regular routine.
At Internal Medicine of Greater New Haven, our experienced internal medicine physicians use advanced diagnostic tools like Holter monitors to identify heart rhythm issues early, before they become serious. Our team provides comprehensive, patient-centered care with access to on-site testing and our close affiliation with Yale-New Haven Hospital.
Here are five common reasons your doctor might suggest wearing a Holter monitor, and why it can be beneficial for your heart health.
1. Catching elusive heart palpitations
Palpitations can cause your heart to race in your chest or feel as if it’s skipping beats. They may come and go without warning, making them difficult to detect during a standard in-office electrocardiogram (ECG).
Wearing a Holter monitor allows continuous tracking so your doctor can see exactly what’s happening when you feel those irregular sensations.
2. Getting to the root of unexplained dizziness
If you’ve experienced sudden dizziness or fainting, the cause may be related to a heart rhythm disturbance or low blood flow to the brain.
The Holter monitor captures your heartis activity before, during, and after these episodes, helping your doctor connect the dots and recommend targeted treatment.
3. Pinpointing irregular heart rhythms
Some arrhythmias happen too sporadically to be caught during a short in-office test. With a Holter monitor recording your heart 24/7, even fleeting rhythm changes can be documented and analyzed. This detailed data helps ensure no episode is missed.
4. Finding answers when other tests fall short
An in-office ECG may not always provide enough information to diagnose your symptoms. A Holter monitor offers a longer observation window, giving your doctor more clues and reducing the guesswork. It’s often the next step when initial tests are inconclusive.
5. Measuring treatment success
For patients already receiving treatment for a heart condition, the Holter monitor is a valuable follow-up tool. It can confirm whether a pacemaker is functioning correctly or show if medications are keeping your heart rhythm steady. This insight helps your doctor fine-tune your care for the best possible results.
Wearing the Holter monitor
The device is about the size of a small camera, with electrodes placed on your chest and thin wires connecting to the monitor, which can attach to a belt or hang from a lanyard. You can go about your daily routine, but you’ll need to remove it when showering or swimming.
While wearing it, you’ll also keep a diary of any symptoms and activities so your doctor can compare your experiences with the recorded data.
A Holter monitor is an opportunity to capture the story your heart is telling in real time. If your doctor recommends one, it’s because they want the clearest, most accurate picture possible to keep your heart healthy for the long run.
To learn more about our screening services, including Holter monitor, contact the office nearest you. Internal Medicine of Greater New Haven serves patients in Cheshire, Guilford, Hamden, Milford, North Haven, Meriden, Wallingford, West Haven, and Stratford, Connecticut.
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