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HOLTER MONITORING
A Holter monitor is a small, wearable device that keeps track of your heart rhythm. Your doctor may want you to wear a Holter monitor for 24 to 48 hours. During that time, the device records all of your heartbeats.
A Holter monitor test is usually performed after a traditional test to check your heart rhythm (electrocardiogram), especially if the electrocardiogram doesn't give your doctor enough information about your heart's condition.
While wearing a Holter monitor may be a little inconvenient.
Why it's done
If you have signs or symptoms of a heart problem, such as an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) or unexplained fainting, your doctor may order a test called an electrocardiogram. An electrocardiogram is a brief, noninvasive test that uses electrodes taped to your chest to check your heart's rhythm.
However, sometimes an electrocardiogram doesn't detect any irregularities in your heart rhythm because you're hooked up to the machine for only a short time. If your signs and symptoms suggest that an occasionally irregular heart rhythm may be causing your condition, your doctor may recommend that you wear a Holter monitor for a day or so.
How you prepare
It is a painless and non-invasive. A technician will place electrodes that sense your heartbeat on your chest. These electrodes are round in shape. The technician will then connect the electrode to a recording device with several wires and will instruct you on how to properly wear the recording device so that it can record data transmitted from the electrodes. The recording device is about the size of a deck of cards. You may hide the electrode and wires under your clothes , and you can wear the recorder device on your built or attached to a strap.
You'll be instructed to keep a diary of all the activities you do while wearing the monitor. It's particularly important to record in the diary any symptoms of palpitations, skipped heartbeats, shortness of breath, chest pain or lightheadedness. You'll usually be given a form to help you record your activities and any symptoms. Once your monitoring begins, refrain form using gadgets. While wearing the Holter you can still do your usual activities except taking a shower.
24-HOUR AMBULATORY BLOOD PRESSURE MONITORING
24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring is a method to measure blood pressure on a continuous basis. Determining what kind of hypertension, a patient has can ensure better options for treatment. It is a way of measuring and managing high blood pressure (hypertension). Hypertension is a blood pressure measurement in which the systolic (upper) blood pressure is at or above 140 and the diastolic (lower) blood pressure is at or above 90.
Why is 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring used?
Ambulatory BP monitoring provides additional information about how your changes in BP may correlate with your daily activities and sleep patterns.
Ambulatory BP monitoring can detect abnormal fluctuations in BP that might go unnoticed when BP is only measured in the doctor’s office. It is a very useful way to detect white coat hypertension, masked hypertension, and sustained hypertension
What are benefits associated with 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring?
Ambulatory monitoring can rule out white coat hypertension, so that patients are not given unnecessary prescriptions for BP-lowering drugs. It can also detect masked hypertension, so that patients receive the medications needed for high blood pressure. The incidence of stroke, heart disease, and organ damage due to hypertension can be reduced among those patients. Ambulatory monitoring may also be useful in evaluating a patient’s response to long-acting antihypertensive medications.