When you suffer irregular heart symptoms that are difficult to catch with a standard electrocardiogram (ECG), which only records your heart activity for a few seconds, a cardiac event monitor is often recommended to you. Your doctor will be able to determine the reason for intermittent symptoms with the use of this device, which measures your heart rhythm over a period of 4-5 days.
Reasons You Might Need a Cardiac Event Monitor
- Unexplained Symptoms
- Palpitations or a racing heart
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Fainting episodes (syncope)
- Unexplained chest discomfort
- Suspected Arrhythmias
- Irregular heartbeats (e.g., atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, or premature ventricular contractions)
- Slow heart rhythms (bradycardia) or fast heart rhythms (tachycardia)
- Stroke or TIA Risk Evaluation
- If you have had a stroke or a transient ischemic attack (TIA), a cardiac event monitor may help recognize an arrhythmia, such as atrial fibrillation, which raises the risk of blood clots.
- Family History or Heart Condition
- If you have a family history of sudden cardiac death or inherited rhythm disorders.
- Monitoring for conditions like Long QT Syndrome or other structural heart diseases.
- Monitoring how well medications or devices like pacemakers are managing your heart rhythm.
- Evaluating symptoms post-treatment or post-surgery.
How It Works
Cardiac event monitors will be worn on the outside of the body, and if there are any emergency events, the cardiology team is notified in real time. Through the use of this individualized data, your physician is able to diagnose and treat your disease with more precision, therefore improving the results for your health.
