It sounds like you are pretty frustrated, but your question is a little vague so I'm not sure exactly what you have going on.
There are many types of arrhythmias or irregular heartbeats, and just about as many causes. They can be hard to catch if they are irregularly irregular, which sounds like double talk but just means sometimes it is irregular and sometimes it is normal.
Many tests like EKGs and cardiac ultrasounds only capture a moment, so they are more like a snapshot than a story. If your heartbeat is erratic but not all the time, you need a longer term test like a Holter monitor http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003877.htm. This is a monitor that tracks your heart rate for a day or two, depending on how your doctor orders the test. It is like a longer term EKG. Sometimes a cardiac stress test will reveal an arrhythmia that only happens when your heart is pushed or stressed.
The American Heart Association has a good informational section on testing for arrhythmias: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3 and we have an arrhythmia page as well: https://www.empowher.com/condition/arrhythmia
I hope this helped a bit. If you can supply more details about your situation, perhaps we can be of further help. Please let us know if that is the case.
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Hi Anonymous-
It sounds like you are pretty frustrated, but your question is a little vague so I'm not sure exactly what you have going on.
There are many types of arrhythmias or irregular heartbeats, and just about as many causes. They can be hard to catch if they are irregularly irregular, which sounds like double talk but just means sometimes it is irregular and sometimes it is normal.
Many tests like EKGs and cardiac ultrasounds only capture a moment, so they are more like a snapshot than a story. If your heartbeat is erratic but not all the time, you need a longer term test like a Holter monitor http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003877.htm. This is a monitor that tracks your heart rate for a day or two, depending on how your doctor orders the test. It is like a longer term EKG. Sometimes a cardiac stress test will reveal an arrhythmia that only happens when your heart is pushed or stressed.
The American Heart Association has a good informational section on testing for arrhythmias: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3 and we have an arrhythmia page as well: https://www.empowher.com/condition/arrhythmia
I hope this helped a bit. If you can supply more details about your situation, perhaps we can be of further help. Please let us know if that is the case.
April 18, 2010 - 3:44pmThis Comment
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