The heart uses electrical impulses to tell the chambers when to contract to pump blood throughout your body, by measuring these impulses, your doctor can determine if your heart is functioning properly. Sometimes, an in office electrocardiogram (EKG) might be taken, but this only gives a brief snapshot of your heart’s health. For a clearer picture of how your heart’s rhythm changes throughout the day, your doctor could ask for continuous monitoring for a day or two using a Holter monitor. This test is simply a 24 hour electrocardiogram of your heart. This test in not in any way invasive. It is designed to pick up certain rhythm irregularities in your heart, as well as periods of “angina” that could happen during that period. This information would give your cardiologist a better understanding of your problem and help diagnose and treat you. The Holter monitor will be put on in our office by a medical assistant and you will be given a sheet of paper headed “Diary”, to indicate time and date of any particular symptoms that happen during the 24-hour monitoring. While you wear the monitor, you are free to perform your regular activities, except showering. You will have to return to our office 24 hours later to have the monitor removed. A technician will scan the Holter monitor tape and the doctor will interpret the results. You will be advised by your cardiologist of the results, diagnosis and treatment.