While clinical use of cardiac monitors began in the late 1960’s they were based on the original concept by physicist Norman J. Holter back in 1949. These telemetric cardiac monitoring devices at first were pretty large, not portable at all, and patients has to remain in the hospital if monitoring was needed. Some were worn for a week, two weeks, or even a month. This extended hospital stay was often cost prohibitive and very inconvenient at the least.

Over time, upgrades made to the design and engineering of the Holter monitor made it much smaller even becoming portable which allowed patients to be monitored for longer periods of time, from the comfort of their own home.

In modern day, most Holter monitors are worn for a minimum of two weeks, while some are worn for over a month. Holter monitors are comfortable and when strapped across the chest and are easily hidden beneath clothing.

Holter monitors are used to helping diagnose a variety of ailments related to the cardiovascular system, but most commonly when the doctor suspects an arrhythmia. While electrocardiograms can detect these off beats of the heart, they are limited to the in-office visit and your physician needs a longer time frame from which to judge.

If you’ve experienced spells of non diagnosed fainting or other symptoms such as palpitations, then it is likely that your doctor will recommend this test. Once an arrhythmia has been properly diagnosed, further action can be taken in treating it if needed.

Every Holter monitor has two components. #1 is the hardware which goes with the patient and takes the recordings, and the software which is externally based usually at the physician’s office so they can analyze the findings. This is mutually convenient for both patient and physician.

Holter monitors are equipped with “patient buttons”. Patient buttons allow patients to signal when they are performing certain activities, such as taking medications, working out, or going to sleep, giving the physician a better overall understanding of the patient’s heart activity.

If you are looking for the best and most compassionate cardiologists in the greater Tampa area, look no further than the Tampa Cardiovascular Associates. Whether you are looking for guidance in prevention, diagnosis, or treatment, call us today at (813) 975-2800 to get started. www.tampacardio.com.