I am new to this site and have found it a great help so far but a question...can anybody advise on a good handheld ecg monitor(which doesn't cost the earth!) apart from Kardia.I have intermittent episodes of AF and I would like to be able to monitor myself effectively if possible.If there is nothing worthwhile other than Kardia then what type of phone will it work with.I just have a nokia Windows phone.Also where is the best place to buy one?Many thanks in advance and best wishes to you all....
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patton
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I have no personal involvement with Kardia and in fact worry about the possible obsession which can happen with such devices but do consider them to be the best currently available to the public. There is an Apple watch I understand which was recently noted on the AF Association facebook site which had good reviews. Few other things like "fitbit" are medically approved.
Hi I went on EBay and purchased a Omron MIT Elite ECG monitor that tells you when you are in AF It cost me about £55 but I take Bobs point that initially I was obsessed and was checking my heart rate every few hours just a check to see if I was in AF and how long I stay there. Currently have attacks of AF and Flutter every 3 days with attacks lasting from 6-8 hours usually but occasionally 10-13 hours
Thanks for that....yes I can see that you could become obsessed with it...Might check out the Omron and then try to control the urge for constant checking!
I downloaded an app on to my iPhone that showed my heart beats/heart rate, easy to use and helped me to diarise the events but so easy to make it habitual, since the Pacemaker I no longer have the need but it was a useful tool
I've had a Kardia for over a year. I only used it when I felt unwell and it helped me to identify when I was wrong about my heart and when I was right. Now I only use it to record so I can show the doctor.
Beware of buying the Omron HCG-801 HeartScan ECG Monitor at £300 as it won't have the software. It is more like £500 complete and without the software, you will be unable to print the readings.
I'm thinking of a Kardia myself and looking into it. On the question of possible obsession however - at the moment I use only a BP/pulse wrist monitor and whilst I don't know technically or factually in a recorded way which type of AF I am in which is what tells the consultant more it has been a very useful tool. I can personally tell from the readings which have been consistently accurate with ambulance and hospital monitors what is going on and when I need help and also more importantly when I don't. With good guidance and good instruction a very helpful tool to give you reassurance and help you cope with your AF.
I have PAF and have a Kardia attached to my iPhone. I was fascinated with it and used it multiple times a day when I first got it. But after a couple of weeks I started to forget about it and now only use it when I get that funny feeling in my chest. I love the security it gives me in knowing that I can check what's going on at any time. Although I only need to use it occasionally, I wouldn't want to be without it.
Kardia is the only approved device for detecting afib. It's small, I carry it in my top shirt pocket. It's quick, two minutes and you have a decent reading. Doctors accept the pdf readouts from kardia.
Hello Patton, Just a little point, Although Kardia is an excellent device, and medically approved, Windows is not currently on the list of compatibility. The list can be found at alivecor.com/#compatibility . If you are looking at purchasing one of these, I would suggest ensuring you have a compatible device first. Many people have ipads or android tablets - these are compatible.
Best wishes
Rachel - Patient Services Associate - AF Association.
They are expensive! I have a phone app: Cardiograph, that can monitor rhythm. You can view history, but cannot share info (I think) Is not as sensitive as Kardios.
Indeed, Rellim is right, the BCG 801 is quite a thing. I got one directly from Japan and incl software its around 450 USD but worth the money. Clear reading, easy to handle and yeah, you need to control it so you dont get obsessed
Beware of those "heart rate monitors" which use either:
1. The camera on your phone.
2. LEDs on a wrist strap.
These measure your pulse (not your heart) by detecting the change in the red level of your capillaries on each increase in blood pressure which dilates them. This is great if all you are after is your pulse rate, such as to limit your exercise or check that you have returned to resting rate and such. However, with an arrhythmia, your pulse rate is not what is important, but the period between pulses, and even the electrical activity that is happening too fast for the pulse to actually occur. In AF, there are beats that do not result in a 'pulse' and the chambers of the heart have not filled correctly.
As far as I know, the only device on the market that can show this is the Kardia. If you are paying about £100 for the Kardia, the Android device to work with it can be a cheap tablet or phone, available around the £50 mark or less. Since you already have a phone (Windows) why not get an Android tablet for when you want the larger display, and for the Kardia?
Many thanks momist for the helpful suggestions....best regards..
I have a Kardia 6L but I also have a Viatom pro monitor. I am taking rythmn control drugs which can extend the QT interval, and the Viatom is the only home ecg monitor I could find which measures the QTc figure. It also uses skin contacts and leads, and will record 24 hr Holter readings and overnight SP02 readings.
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