A Holter monitor is a type of heart monitor that can detect and capture the tiny electrical signals your heart sends to the surface of your chest. It monitors the heart’s rhythm and displays it on a chart called an electrocardiograph. A Holter monitor is usually worn so a trained professional such as a cardiologist can see if your heart is working properly or detect a problem.
What does a holter monitor test for?
A Holter monitor captures and displays the heart’s performance and allows a doctor to determine if your heart is working properly or if you might have a heart condition. Most often those detected by these tests include irregularities heartbeat and abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmias). The most common arrhythmias are atrial fibrillation, tachycardia and atrial flutter to name a few. If you have any signs or symptoms of a heart problems, experience heart palpitations or sudden fainting, a doctor will order a Holter monitor test to evaluate your heart health to diagnose the cause of your symptoms.
Can an electrocardiogram detect a heart problem too?
Yes and no. An Electrocardiogram is a short test usually performed at the hospital that only lasts a few seconds or minutes. As many heart problems demonstrate themselves infrequently or are triggered by a particular activity, the chances that they are present during such a short test are small. This is why Holter monitoring has a much higher chance of capturing these events as it’s performed over several days or even a week. QardioCore is designed to be worn comfortably even over longer periods of time, yielding higher diagnostic results over traditional electrocardiograms and Holter monitors.
What does a heart monitor show?
A heart monitor displays the heart’s ECG trace in a graph that looks like a long strip of peaks and valleys, which a doctor then reviews for possible diagnosis of heart conditions such as atrial fibrillation, tachycardia and other arrhythmias. Electrophysiologists are specialized cardiologists who were trained in the heart’s electrical systems, and will evaluate these results.
QardioCore is the next generation heart monitor that doesn’t require wires or patches and can be worn comfortably for long periods of time. It records ECG signal just like traditional Holters and is designed to provide medical quality analysis to healthcare professionals such as cardiologists.
