There are times when a heart patient requires 24/7 monitoring of their condition for days, and up to weeks, at a time, while keeping them in a hospital for that whole time would be both extremely expensive and extremely impractical. For such instances, a device called a Holter monitor is often used, so named for its creator, physicist Norman J. Holter.

While clinical use of cardiac monitors did not start until the 1960’s, they were based on the concept of telemetric cardiac monitoring first designed by Holter in 1949. The original cardiac monitors, however, were quite large and hardly portable, and patients had to remain within the hospitals for monitoring, often for a couple of days at a time. Over time, advancements to the Holter monitor made it much smaller and far more portable, allowing for patients to be monitored for much longer periods of time, and from the comfort of their own homes. Today, most Holter monitors are worn for at least two weeks, while some are worn for over a month. Modern Holter monitors are also comfortable to wear when strapped or belted across the chest and are easily hidden under clothing, meaning they cause little to no interference to a person’s daily life.

There are two components to every Holter monitor, the hardware that stays with the patient and takes the recordings, and the software that is externally, and often remotely, located to review and analyze the recordings. This allows for optimal convenience for both patient and doctor – the patient is able to go about their daily life with little to no interference, while the doctor is able to monitor their heart consistently for an extended period of time, and note when any changes occur. Many modern Holter monitors are equipped with “patient buttons” that allow patients to signal when they are performing certain activities, such as exercising, taking medications, or going to sleep, giving the physician a better overall understanding of the patient’s heart activity.

Holter monitors are used in a variety of instances but most commonly when a doctor suspects an arrhythmia is present. Some arrhythmias can be detected be electrocardiograms, but these tests are quick and performed onsite so they are sometimes not able to detect certain problems that are occurring randomly or over time. If you’ve experienced spells of unexplained fainting or other symptoms of an irregular heartbeat such as palpitations, then it is likely that your doctor will recommend this series of tests to you. Once an arrhythmia has been properly diagnosed, further action can be taken in treating it, if your physician deems it necessary.

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.