ECG (Holter) Monitoring in Point Cook
A Holter monitor records your heart’s rhythm continuously while you go about your normal day. It helps find heart rhythm problems that a short ECG can miss.
If you have chest pain, pressure or discomfort that is severe, getting worse or lasts longer than 10 minutes, call 000 straight away.
Ten seconds versus a full day
A standard ECG captures the heart’s electrical activity for about ten seconds while you lie still. Many rhythm problems come and go, so the heart can look normal during that brief window. The clinic offers both ECGs and 24-hour ECG (Holter) monitoring, which keeps recording through work, meals, exercise and sleep.
Symptoms that lead to the test
- Palpitations, or a racing, fluttering, thumping or skipping heartbeat
- Dizzy spells or fainting without a clear cause
- Suspected atrial fibrillation or another irregular rhythm
- Checking the effect of rhythm or rate medicine
What the recording can reveal
The report shows your slowest, fastest and average heart rate, and flags anything unusual. Extra or skipped beats, called ectopic beats, are common and often harmless. Longer runs of fast or irregular rhythm, such as atrial fibrillation, can matter more, as can pauses or a very slow rate.
Symptoms that happen only every few days may not occur during a 24-hour recording. In that case, a longer monitor or an event recorder can be arranged through a referral.
Getting ready on the day
- Shower beforehand, as the recorder must stay dry
- Wear a loose top, ideally one that buttons at the front
- Leave off body lotion, oil or powder on your chest
- Chest hair may need a light trim so the sticky pads hold
Living with the recorder
- Note the time of any symptom and what you were doing
- Keep to your usual routine, including any regular exercise
- Avoid baths, showers and swimming until it comes off
- Keep electric blankets and magnets away from the device
- Press a lifting pad back down, and call reception if one comes off
How the device works
Several small adhesive pads sit on your chest and connect by thin leads to a recorder about the size of a phone. It clips to a belt or hangs in a pouch, makes no noise and does not hurt. Some people find the pads itchy by the end of the day. The device records only, so it does not send an alert if something happens.
Making sense of the report
After the monitor is removed, the recording is analysed and a report goes to the doctor who requested it. Your diary is lined up against the tracing, which shows whether a symptom matched a rhythm change. A normal result during symptoms is useful too, because it points the search elsewhere, such as blood pressure, anaemia, thyroid problems or anxiety.
Everyday triggers for palpitations
Caffeine, energy drinks, alcohol, nicotine, stress, dehydration, poor sleep and some decongestant cold and flu tablets can all set off palpitations in some people. Keeping track of these in your diary alongside symptoms can show a pattern worth discussing.
Possible next steps
- Occasional ectopic beats with a healthy heart often need nothing more than cutting back on triggers
- Atrial fibrillation may call for medicine to control the rate and, for many people, a blood thinner to lower stroke risk
- Very slow rhythms or long pauses usually lead to a cardiologist review, which sometimes results in a pacemaker
Fees and bulk billing
Out-of-pocket fees apply to most consultations, and each practitioner sets their own fees. Bulk billing is available with all our doctors for Veterans’ Affairs patients, pensioners over 65, childhood and adult immunisations and GP care plans. See our fees page or call reception before you book.