Holter monitors are portable instruments doctors have patients wear in order to diagnose a potential heart medical condition. These monitors allow doctors to measure the heart’s activating (rhythm and heart rate) in order to determine the status of the heart’s condition. A patient often wears this Holter monitor device for somewhere between 24 to 48 hours while going about a normal day’s activities. Doctors may prescribe the wearing of this monitor for a variety of reasons.
At Danlee Medical Products, Inc., we sell a range of Holter monitors that include the Philips and Welch Allyn Holter monitors to help cardiology professionals provide superb and accurate cardiology testing and monitoring of patients.
Electrocardiograms – What They May Not Show
Doctors and nurses generally perform electrocardiograms if patients experience a heart rhythm that is abnormal. The electrocardiogram records the rate and rhythm of the heart at the time of the examination, which only lasts several minutes. Therefore, it may not pick-up heart abnormalities that occur outside of that confined timeframe. This is why doctors may prescribe the wearing of a Holter monitor for a couple of days or so to discover and diagnose conditions such as irregular heartbeat or arrhythmia.
Reason for a Holter Monitor
If you have an existing heart condition that increases the potential of an abnormal heart rhythm, a doctor may have you wear this type of monitor, Holter monitor. The doctor may also ask you to record your activities throughout each day you are wearing the device and the time periods of those activities. This information combined with the readings from the Holter monitor device may explain why you are experiencing certain symptoms such as the feeling of the heart fluttering, palpitations, dizziness, or fainting.
As opposed to an event monitor which only captures a single abnormal symptom or event, a Holter monitor can capture repeated instances of heart abnormalities that occur across days. Doctors can arrive at a more informed diagnosis and detect certain heart issues after evaluating the data from the Holter monitor and the patient’s diary during this the time of wearing the device.
If you need cardiology supplies such as Welch Allyn or Philips Holter monitors, or have any questions about our cardiology products, give us a call today at 800.433.7797 or leave us a message through our contact form.