Holter Monitoring

Holter Monitoring services offered in Venice, Sarasota, Bradenton and Ellenton, FL

Holter monitoring can provide insight into your heart function when other procedures fail to identify problems. Barry Weckesser, MD, and Amy Kinter, NP, at The Heart Institute of Venice in Venice, Florida, specialize in using Holter monitors. These devices are small enough to carry comfortably for several days without interfering with your usual activities. Call The Heart Institute of Venice to request more information on Holter monitoring or schedule a consultation online today.

Holter Monitoring Q & A

What is Holter monitoring?

Holter monitoring provides a complete record of your heart’s electrical activity over 24-48 hours.

It supplies a more comprehensive heart rhythm picture than short-term electrocardiogram (EKG) tests, which only take a snapshot of your heart’s activity. That means Holter monitoring enables your cardiologist to detect abnormalities that a standard EKG might miss.

An EKG machine detects cardiac activity using electrodes attached to your skin. It’s usually the first heart function test doctors perform to assess cardiac symptoms. A Holter monitor uses similar technology but in a portable form.

Why might I need Holter monitoring?

You might require Holter monitoring if you have heart symptoms that don’t occur during a doctor’s office visit. Such symptoms could include:

Palpitations (pounding or racing heartbeat)
Irregular heartbeats
Chest pain
Shortness of breath
Dizziness
Lightheadedness
Syncope (fainting)

A Holter monitor detects intermittent or hidden heart rhythm abnormalities, helping to diagnose arrhythmias — fast, slow, and/or erratic heartbeats. Supervising your heart for an extended time with a Holter monitor helps your cardiologist identify these problems so you can get the appropriate treatment.

If you’re already undergoing treatment for a heart problem, Holter monitoring helps your cardiologist assess how well medications or other therapies work. They can then adjust your treatment where necessary.

What happens when I undergo Holter monitoring?

Holter monitoring is a noninvasive procedure. You visit The Heart Institute of Venice, where your provider fits the portable Holter monitor, a lightweight device you wear on a belt or carry in a pouch. You can continue with your daily activities using this convenient monitoring method.

Holter monitors record all your heart’s activity during the 24-48 hours you wear it. Your cardiologist might ask you to complete a simple diary while wearing the Holter monitor, recording what you’re doing (eating, sleeping, exercising) and any symptoms (like chest pain) you experience.

An alternative is event monitoring, which uses similar devices but only records your heart’s activity at specific times. For example, you can activate the event monitor’s recording function when you experience certain symptoms or are doing particular activities.

Some patients might need to undergo cardiac telemetry. This in-office procedure is typically reserved for patients with more severe arrhythmia symptoms.

Call The Heart Institute of Venice to learn more about Holter monitoring’s role in cardiac care, or book an appointment online today.