Holter Monitor Tests

A Holter monitor is a test that lets your doctor see whether there are changes in the heart's rhythm or electrical appearance over a longer period of time than can be observed during one office visit. A few stickers with attached plastic-coated wires are placed onto the skin of your chest, which connect to a small monitor that you wear. The monitor, a machine about the size of a purse that records your heart rhythm, is worn for 24 or 48 hours while you carry on with your normal daily activities. You will be given a small diary so you can write down any symptoms you may feel during the test, as well as the time they happened.

Another type of monitor, called an event monitor, is used for people who only have heart-related symptoms now and then. It is a small machine that you turn on only when you have a symptom that may be due to heart-rhythm changes. The event monitor may be kept for up to one month.