Why is Holter Monitoring used?
Holter Monitoring is used as a screening tool in the evaluation of patients with symptoms of various forms of heart disease, or in situations where the physician suspects cardiac pathology in the absence of symptoms. Symptoms such as palpitations, lightheadedness or fainting may be caused by disturbances in the electrical signals that control the heart muscle contractions. These disturbances can be random, spontaneous, sleep-related, or emotion- or stress-induced. Holter Monitoring is an ideal test because the patient assumes normal, daily activities, increasing the likelihood that he or she will experience the precise situations that can trigger symptoms or cardiac events. This allows correlation of any rhythm problems or abnormalities with activities and/or symptoms. In the opposite sense, Holter Monitoring can also be used to “rule out” cardiac causes of patients’ symptoms if these symptoms occur in the absence of any cardiac event.
