Holter monitor instructions – What is expected if you’re wearing a Holter monitor
A Holter monitor is a great advancement in the field of medicine, especially in cardiology. A Holter monitor is a small, portable medical device, used to diagnose and continuously monitor a person’s heart rate and rhythm. For example, a Holter monitor helps doctors detect cardiac conditions, such as arrhythmias.
There is a lot of inconvenience if you are ordered to wear Holter heart monitor for several days. If you want to get accurate data that will help in your cardiac arythmia analysis, there are clinical observations and instructions you have to follow. Most patients struggle to keep up with the restrictions.
In this article, we give you the ABCs of Holter Monitor Instructions – What you need to know to get improved accuracy in your cardiac rhythm analysis.
How does a Holter monitor work?
Cardiologists use this portable electrocardiogram (ECG) for health monitoring, especially to diagnose and evaluate a patient’s heart conditions.
If your doctor discovers symptoms, such as chest pain, irregular heartbeats or palpitations, shortness of breath, fainting, dizziness, low blood pressure, frequent fatigue (ongoing tiredness), a Holter monitor may will be ordered for you. And before a holter monitoring is required, the medical personnel will often, first check your resting ECG if it gives any abnormalities.
If the electrocardiogram doesn’t give enough information or detect any abnormal heart rhythms, your health caregiver will then request a Holter monitor for a deeper analysis of abnormal heartbeats causing the symptoms.
Unlike blood pressure monitors that give two readings (diastolic and systolic), a holter monitor usually tells your average, minimum, and maximum heart rate.
To do accurate diagnosis, patients are asked to wear the holter monitor for few days or weeks. If the Cardiac technician orders a 24-hour Holter monitor, the device will be allowed measure and record the electrical activity of your heart for a single day.
The Cardiologists often encourage you maintain your daily routine but that is not all. To make sure they get accurate reading, Heart doctors also spell out some holter monitor instructions and restrictions their patients need to follow. The purpose is just to exclude certain external factors that might affect the accuracy of the heart health recording.
What are those Holter monitor instructions and how can one cope with restrictions while wearing a Holter monitor fitted for 24 hours or more time?
Before your Holter Monitor placement
A holter monitor is FDA-approved for advanced arrhythmia detection. Certified technicians always recommend that you get prepared before the day you are to set up the device.
Based on your medical condition, your healthcare provider may tell you to do some specific preparation. Here are some of the recommendations to get you prepared for holter monitor placements.
- You should shower before your Holter monitor is set up as you might not be able to bathe during the ECG test period
- Shave your chest if hairy. This is to make a good connection between your skin and the adhesive pads.
- Wear loose fit clothes. For added comfort, wear baggy clothes. Loose-fitting dresses can restrict your movement while wearing the holter monitor.
- Body cream, deodorants, perfumes and other skincare product should be use 24 hours before the holter monitor set up but during the test.
Holter Monitor instructions – what is expected of you
Holter monitoring is painless and noninvasive way to diagnose and monitor your heart health. From the moment the health care provider attaches the heart rate monitor, hides the electrodes and wires under your clothes, and the heart rate recording begins: these are things you allow to do.
You don’t take the Holter monitor off. This is the scary part. You must wear the Holter monitor at all times, during sleep and throughout the entire duration. It could be 24 to 48 hours (1-2 days) and some Holter monitoring devices can take weeks.
You are allowed to carry out your usual daily activities while you wear a Holter monitor. The objectives here is to help unearth the activity or the real culprit behind your poor heart condition.
You may be instructed to keep a diary of your daily activities while wearing the Holter monitor ECG. One additional task you must do if they attach a heart monitoring device on your chest, is to keep a diary of all your everyday activities or routine and a record of any symptoms you experience.
You will have to return the wearable heart health tracking device plus your diary when the monitoring period is over.
Basic Holter monitor restrictions
There are some restrictions you must take seriously while wearing a holter monitor. This might look intimidating and scary but here are the few restrictions to take note of:
Basic restrictions while wearing a holter monitor
Here are some restrictions you must follow while wearing a Holter monitor.
Do not swim or shower while wearing the holter monitor.
You know, this whole thing is an electronic device and water can get in and damage it. You have to just avoid showering or swimming with your holter monitor. I can guess what’s in your head right now. If you got a 48 hour Holter monitor, does it mean you don’t have to bathe for 2 days? But what would you do not to let water anywhere near the Holter monitor if you must bathe? Well, you can use wet wipes or cloths to clean yourself but there are many other workarounds how to shower while wearing a holter monitor.
Do not smoke while wearing the heart rate monitor.
Can you smoke while wearing a heart monitor? If you got a habit to smoke, sure, you will have to stop it while wearing a holter monitor. Reports shows the mean heart rates rises by 90.8 bmp during smoking. The simple reason is that your heart rate increases acutely when you smoke and if you are wearing a holter monitor, that means it will record inaccurate results.
Limit sweaty exercises
There are some workouts or activities that produce a lot of sweat. High-intensity exercise restriction comes in because excessive sweating, can cause the Holter monitor wires or leads to loosen and fall off. The accuracy of the holter monitor depends too on how firm they are attached to your chest and loose contact with the skin of your chest will produce wrong results. If they are loose, you get abnormal holter monitor results. So, you have to keep your fitness workout intensity to low /moderate levels and for a short period so as to limit chances of sweating.
Don’t take monitor off while sleeping
According to doctor’s instructions, a holter monitor must be worn during the entire recording period. That means you are not going to take the heart tracker device off, when going to bed. No, cana I sleep on my side with holter monitor attached to my chest? Yes, the best position to sleep while wearing a holter monitor is on your side. Whether you choose to sleep on left or right body side, just make sure to keep the monitoring device close to your chest while sleeping.
How do you sleep with a holter monitor? On your sides, or back but not the chest. If side sleeping with holter monitor not ok for you, how do you sleep comfortably with a heart monitor then? You can sleep on you back at night. Just make sure you are keeping the electrodes and the wires of the holter ECG device in position or firmly attached to your body and the recording device.
Related: Best FDA-Approved Smartwatches for ECG monitoring
Do not drink alcohol with heart rate monitor
While doing a holter monitor test, doctors would ask patients to limit their alcohol or caffeine consumption. Alcohol should be restricted if the physician who ordered for your holter monitor thinks you got arrhythmia. The fact is, alcohol is arrythmogenic (causing arrhythmia), so you would have to avoid drinking beer or wine as your doctor instructs it.
Reports from University of California has debunked a theory that low amount of alcohol can increase rates of atrial fibrillation. A holter monitoring expert from ReadDx found that people who abused alcohol were three times more likely to suffer from Atrial fibrillation.
However, if your doctor does not restrict beer or wine then, I think you can drink your alcohol even while you are wearing a holter monitor. Just avoid abusing the alcohol. If you are not sure, ask your doctor because drinking alcohol might be causing your irregular heartbeat. Restriction from alcohol just depends on the patient’s symptoms.
Don’t use deodorant during holter monitoring
You are advised not to use any deodorant – cream, lotions or powders on your skin while wearing a holter monitor. Even if you have to use your body oils, do it 1-2 days before. You should not use these deodorants on your body, especially on the same day you are going to make the holter monitor placement.
Just applying body oils and moisturizers or deodorants while wearing holter monitor can create poor electrical contact between your skin and the adhesive patches. This will end of producing poor heart rate results.
Other Holter monitoring restrictions
Limit drinking: Abstain from drinking alcohols and anything caffeine related while wearing a holter monitor.
Avoid magnets: Anything with magnetic fields will greatly influence the electrical signals in the holter ECG device and produce poor heart health data. So, don’t bring a magnet near the monitor box.
Not exposure to metal detectors : You should not go near metal detectors with a holter monitor in your chest. Metal detectors use waves and electrical signals which can inter with the holter monitor readings. If you must go through a metal detector, you have to walk slowly to normal pace.
Avoid closeness with electronic/electric items : Don’t go near other electronics with high-voltage devices including microwaves, electric toothbrushes, electric blankets, razors and kitchen blenders.
Can I wear bra with holter monitor?
Can a woman wear a bra with a holter monitor? Absolutely yes, you can wear a bra with heart rate monitor. But what kind of bra can you wear with a holter monitor? A wire-free sport bra is best to wear while fitting the device. Women have to wear comfortable bra whose cups and straps are not going to overlap the areas around the electrodes. You can wear the under-wire bra but know that a wrong bra can great affect the electrodes.
For a correct holter monitor placement, female patient would take the shirt off (leaving the bra) and if her skin is sweaty, oily and dirty, she can wipe the holter monitor placement area with an alcohol towelette.
Can you drink caffeine with a holter monitor
can you drink coffee while wearing a holter monitor? Researchers have tried to evaluate dietary patterns, coffee consumption and cardiac ectopy. They found there is no relation between chronic consumption of caffeinated products and ectopy using a 24-hour holter monitoring. If you wanted to ask “does coffee affect ECG”, the answer is No really. Caffeine has minimal effect of the ECGG according to invasive electrophysiology studies. If there is evidence that caffeine has an effect on ventricular, and nodal tissues, it can likely be susceptible for arrhythmia.
The fact is the caffeine is a stimulant, but caffeine consumption has no or zero effects on electrocardiographic parameters or heart rate. Could that be true for tea and chocolate consumption? We don’t know but if discover any changes on your heart rate after drinking coffee, tea while wearing a holter monitor, notify your doctor.
For me, you should avoid any caffeinated beverages for 24 hours prior to the Holter ECG test if want to get accurate recording.
Holter monitor complications
Holter mo nitoring is not without little risk. Placing a holter monitor is a non-invasive way to assess hearths health. But there are some potential risks you need to be awre of, although they are rare.
- Prolong holter monitoring period may make the adhesive electrode patches to cause tissue breakdown or cause your skin to irritate.
- Excessive perspiration may cause the holter monitor leads to get loose and detach from your chest.
When to contact your doctor
If you are wearing a holter monitor, contact your healthcare provider in the following situations.
- The adhesive pads or electrodes come loose and fall off your chest
- The heart rate Holter monitor stops working
- You start experiencing rashes on your chest, headaches, dizziness, feeling fain
- If you become cold, pale, have difficulty breathing
Wrapping up Holter monitor
Holter monitoring is a great cardiological advancement and if you care about your heart and general wellbeing, you have to stick to the holter monitor instructions. You would want to make sure you obey the basic restrictions while wearing a Holter monitor, so as to get an accurate report or your heart performance.
Can a computer interfere with my holter monitor?
Can I use a computer while wearing a holter monitor? YES, if you wear a heart rate monitor, you can continue to use your computer.
Can I use mobile phone while wearing a holter monitor?
Yes, you can use your MP3 player, smartphone or mobile phone with holter monitor. But doctors recommend you limit your exposure where possible and if you can’t, keep the cell phone or iPad, MP3 player or any handheld device at least 6 inches away from the holter monitor.
What should you not do with a holter monitor attached to your chest?
- Don’t smoke
- You should not drink alcohol
- Do not go near magnets, metal detectors, high voltage devices
- Don’t sleep on your chest
- Do not take the holter monitor off your chest
- You should not also shower or swim with a holter monitor
- Don’t take an X-ray, MRI scan
Gearon is a 6 foot active young man, with 5.5″ wrist he feels looks small. The struggle to grow big wrist with exercises and to pick gorgeous watches for his skinny wrists, have earned him an unbeatable passion for wrist watches, especially smartwatches. As an entrepreneur and a handy project manager, he knows exactly what product quality is, in the eye of a customer and what value they expect for their money. He combined all these talents, and created this blog to share his knowledge to everyone and the fashion community.
