Dos and Don’ts While Wearing Your Holter Monitor

Heart problems are scary and something nobody wants to deal with – but we often don't have a choice. If you're experiencing issues like chest pain, shortness of breath, or faintness during the day and an ECG doesn't show any problems, you may need to wear a Holter monitor.

Holter monitors are portable ECG machines that relay your heart's electrical activity to specialists. They can evaluate your heart while you're going about your life to determine if there's a more significant issue.

If you're concerned about your heart health, Dr. Ghiath Mikdadi and Dr. Farid Zayed offer holter monitoring, ECGs, and stress testing to evaluate your health at the Heart Clinic of Hammond in Hammond and Amite, Louisiana.

Both providers are cardiologists and experts experienced in treating cardiac issues through simple steps like Holter monitoring.

How does a Holter monitor work?

A Holter monitor is a small device you wear for a few days to track your heart's electrical activity. It consists of several leads with electrodes attached to your chest and the small monitor the leads connect to.

The monitor continuously records the heart's electrical activity and rhythm and reports to our team. It's a mini ECG machine that you can always carry with you.

The leads of the Holter monitor detect your heart's rhythm and rate. The device records your heart's activity every second to give our team a better picture of the organ's health.

While wearing the Holter monitor, you do your usual activities except when you have chest pain, lightheadedness, or shortness of breath symptoms. At your follow-up appointment, our team compares the monitor's readings to your symptoms to determine the next steps in treatment.

What can I do with the Holter monitor?

The best thing to do while wearing the Holter monitor is to go about your usual activities. The monitor relays your heart rhythm and information throughout the day, giving our team essential information on your heart health.

If you sit around and avoid activity while wearing the monitor, you may need more information to diagnose or treat specific issues within the heart. It's essential to go about your normal activities while you have the monitor in place for accurate results.

One thing to make sure you do is keep a diary of your symptoms while you have the monitor in place. Our team reads your heart rhythm throughout the day, but we don't know what you're doing or how you feel until the follow-up appointment.

It's essential to write down in a diary any symptoms you have as you have them and what you were doing when they started. Bring the diary with you to your follow-up appointment so we can compare the information we received to your symptoms and activities.

The diary is crucial to the monitoring process because it's the way we link your symptoms to irregularities in the monitor's readings. That information is priceless when making a diagnosis and getting you the treatment you need.

Things to avoid while wearing the monitor

Just as there are things you should do while you have the Holter monitor, there are a few things you should avoid. Some circumstances may damage the monitor or keep it from transmitting vital information about your heart.

We discuss the dos and don'ts of wearing a Holter monitor with you before sending you home with it on. Some things you should avoid during the monitoring process include:

Swimming or bathing

Getting the monitor wet at any time is a big no-no. While you have the Holter monitor on, avoid swimming, bathing, and getting the leads or device wet. Getting the monitor wet could damage it or cause you harm.

X-ray machines

You should avoid having X-rays while wearing the Holter monitor because they can interfere with its readings. If you require an X-ray during the monitoring period, let our team know so they can instruct you on what to do.

Magnets and metal detectors

Magnets and metal detectors can interfere with the Holter monitor, so you should avoid them while wearing them. Anything with an electrical current or magnet can also interfere with our readings, making it difficult to read an accurate diagnosis.

You should avoid holding your cell phone or tablet close to the monitor, which can cause reading issues. The same goes for electric blankets and other electrical devices that may cause monitor reading issues.

Call the Heart Clinic of Hammond today to schedule a consultation with our team for a Holter monitor, or request an appointment online.