FAQ'S
An arrhythmia is a change in the regular beat of the heart. The heart may seem to skip a beat, beat irregularly, beat very fast or very slow.
Many times, there is no recognizable cause of an arrhythmia. Heart disease may cause arrhythmias. Other causes include: stress, caffeine, tobacco, alcohol, diet pills, cough and cold medicines.
Most people have felt their heart beat very fast, experience a fluttering in their chest, or noticed that their heart skipped a beat. Almost everyone has also felt dizzy, faint or out of breath or had chest pains at one time or another. You should not panic if you experience a few flutters or your heart races occasionally. But if you have questions about your heart rhythm or symptoms, check with your doctor.
Diagnosing an arrhythmia is very important because the longer an arrhythmia lasts without detection or treatment, the greater the chances of permanent damage to the heart. There are a number of tests that physicians may use to diagnose an arrhythmia. The type of test(s) used will depend on a number of factors, including your specific symptoms as well as your personal and family medical history. Depending on the presentation and frequency of your symptoms, your physician will prescribe an appropriate diagnostic approach to identify the source of your arrhythmia.
The length of time you will wear your monitor will be determined and instructed by your physician. Generally speaking, there are two common types of monitors given to patients to diagnose an arrhythmia. The first is a 30-day Cardiac Event Monitor which is used for patients whose symptoms occur less frequently. The other common type of monitor is a Holter Monitor used for patients with frequent symptoms of an arrhythmia .
Cardiac Event Monitor: If your physician has given you a Cardiac Event Monitor to wear a monitor over a period of several days up to 30 days. Again, your physician will advise you on the duration of your monitoring period.
When you feel a symptom you, may be directed by your physician to push a button on your monitor to record the rhythm, or, if you have an eTrigger Event Monitor, it will automatically record when it identifies an arrhythmia, whether you feel a symptom or not.
24-hour or 48-hour Holter Monitor. When wearing a 24-hour or 48-hour Holter Monitor. If your physician has recommended either a 24-hour or a 48-hour Holter Monitor you will go about your usual daily activities while wearing a small, portable monitor that connects to the leads on your chest. During the monitoring period, the device will record changes in your heart's rhythm. At the end of the monitoring period, you simply return the monitor for analysis of the recordings. Your physician will receive a report for review and diagnosis of your results.
