Patient Resources

What is a Holter Monitor and How to Use it?

March 15, 2022
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A person's heart beats up to 100,000 times a day. It performs one of the most important functions of your body: pumping blood to all the organs. Getting blood to all the organs keeps them running throughout the day, and basically, the heart is the main engine of the human body. You must monitor your heart functioning if you are suffering from heart problems. A very effective device for this purpose is the Holter Monitor.

What is the Holter Monitor

A Holter monitor is a small device that rests on your chest to record your heartbeat rhythms and activities. A rubber strap keeps the device hanging in its place. It has a few electrodes attached to your chest, which monitor the electrical signals coming from your heart. This data is readable through an echocardiogram printout. The device runs on rechargeable batteries and can keep monitoring your heart from 24 hours up to 72 hours. This is a very helpful device for people who suffer from sudden chest pain episodes or other major heart problems. However, this device is not something a normal person can purchase without a prescription or even operate. This is a medical device, and only doctors who have special training to operate the device can administer its use. Additionally, this device is not a way to cure your ailments, only a way to monitor your heart. Only your doctor can prescribe you the right procedure to cure and recover. Therefore, do not neglect your heart health; visit a cardiovascular specialist for proper checkups.

How to Use the Holter Monitor

A doctor will prescribe you to use this device only when your ECG or EKG does not produce sufficient data. The ECG or EKG data is usually sufficient to plan, but in some extreme cases, the data can be vague. Therefore the doctor may prescribe a long-term use of the Holter monitor for up to 72 hours. All your heart activity, from every beat to every movement your heart makes, is now recorded by the monitor. This up to 72 hours of data will give your doctor detailed analyses of your heart activity, and nothing will be left uncertain. This device leaves your heart completely transparent to the doctor. Whatever happened to your heart is now like a chapter from a book to read. However, only a doctor who knows how to read heart activity can do so.

Cost of a Holter Monitor

The Holter Monitor can cost up to thousands of dollars. Your doctors will prescribe this device online as a last resort for heart monitoring because it is so expensive. However your insurance may cover the device, but you will have to double-check your medical insurance policy or talk to your agent.

Conclusion

Getting a Holter Monitor for heart monitoring will be very effective for your treatment. However, the device is very expensive, and you need to ensure that your insurance will cover it or not. Therefore do not purchase the device without proper consultation from your insurance agent and a cardiovascular specialist. If you want advice from expert cardio doctors, please contact Octagos at (281) 769-8733.

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