What Is a Holter Monitor and Why Might You Need One?

If you’ve been experiencing irregular heartbeats, dizziness, unexplained fatigue, or episodes of heart fluttering, our team at Bridgewater Primary Care & Cardiology may recommend something called a Holter monitor. 

This small, wearable device is incredibly helpful in diagnosing heart rhythm issues that might not show up during other tests, including a standard in-office electrocardiogram (EKG).

Here’s what you need to know about how a Holter monitor works and why it might be an important step in protecting your heart health.

What is a Holter monitor?

A Holter monitor is a portable device that continuously records your heart’s electrical activity. You typically wear it for 24-48 hours. It attaches to your chest with small adhesive electrodes and connects to a lightweight recorder hooked onto a strap or clip.

A traditional EKG captures only a few seconds of heart activity, but a Holter monitor tracks every heartbeat over an extended period. This gives our team a clearer picture of how your heart behaves during daily activities, sleep, stress, and movement.

Why you need a Holter monitor

A Holter monitor helps detect rhythm problems that come and go, including:

• Irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias)
• Unexplained dizziness or fainting episodes
• Heart palpitations or fluttering sensations
• Chest discomfort that isn’t easily explained

A Holter monitor can also help us determine how well a heart medication is working or evaluate the effectiveness of a pacemaker or other cardiac device.

Because heart symptoms are unpredictable, the Holter monitor’s continuous recording can catch irregularities that a brief office test could miss.

What it is like to have a Holter monitor

Wearing a Holter monitor is simple. It requires no anesthesia, needles, or scalpels. While wearing it, you can move around normally, work, and sleep. 

Our team will ask you to keep a symptom diary, noting anything you feel — like fluttering, lightheadedness, or shortness of breath — and what you were doing at the time.

After the monitoring period, you return the device, and our cardiologists analyze the recorded data alongside your notes to look for patterns or concerns.

What the results can tell you

Holter monitoring helps identify:

• When and how often irregular rhythms occur
• Whether your heart beats too fast, too slow, or with skipped beats
• If symptoms correlate with rhythm changes
• If you need additional testing, treatment, or medication adjustments

This information helps us develop a personalized care plan to keep your heart functioning at its best.

Do you need a Holter monitor?

If you’re experiencing symptoms like palpitations, episodes of dizziness, unexplained fatigue, or a racing heartbeat, make an appointment with us at Bridgewater Primary Care & Cardiology in West Bridgewater, Massachusetts. 

We may determine that you’d benefit from the readings that a Holter monitor provides. It’s a  simple, effective tool that can offer valuable insight and give you peace of mind.

A Holter monitor helps us listen more closely so we can support your long-term heart health. Call our office or use our online tool to schedule your appointment. We are conveniently located near Boston and proudly extend our services to communities throughout Norfolk, Plymouth, Bristol, and Providence counties.