Hi all
I was having flutters following a heart attack at the beginning of the year. My GP gave me a portable ecg device that I can use during an episode to track it but it only ever happens once and by the time I put the device on it has stopped. Can I stop worrying about it if they are not long enough to record?
Provided that you feel ok and are not affected by this I would suggest yes. As a famous EP once told me, "Anything that lasts less than 30 seconds doesn't need a name". Any dizzyness, fainting or chest pain of course must be investigated.
Thanks Bob, I will keep trying but basically it’s one single skipped beat each time. I did manage to record one episode that was two or three and it went up to 140 for one beat then back down to my usual resting of 65-75??
If just one beat it is most likely ectopic (out of place) which are considered benign but keep trying if you want to. All people regardless of any heart conditon or not get up to 200 ectopic beats a day but just do not notice them for the most part. Problem is that once one does one become obsessed by them and can't ignore.
Thanks BobD, very reassuring.
My understanding is that you think you are feeling something but cannot record it because the episodes don’t last long enough? What sort of portable device were you given and are you familiar with using it?
The risk factors for AF don’t change whether you have 30 seconds or 30 hours or are in persistent AF. If you can’t record them with a monitor, then note them down with the sensation and timings. If you can - take your pulse and record rate. Then at least you will have a notation of frequency and some symptom record and time duration which can be useful for your doctors.
There are wearable monitors which can pick up arrythmias that portable devices miss which can give important information to your cardiologist so when you say ‘can I stop worrying?’ I assume you mean ‘can I stop trying to capture my heart rate/rhythm?’- I would say no, continue until you capture some of the episodes.
It’s also something you should talk to your doctor about.
Best wishes CD.
Hi CDreamer it is a beurer medical hand held device that my GP has lent me. You have to turn it on then put one side against your chest and your finger on the other end. The issue I have is that it is always (90% of the time) just one beat. The only longer episode I managed to record saw it go up to 140 for one beat then back down to normal of 65-75.
If it’s one beat, as Bob said, could be ectopics. If it continues I would keep noting as the more evidence one can present to a doctor, then the more likely they are to be able to spot something and better diagnose and treat. Just my rationale.
I know it’s not easy when you sense there is something wrong with your ticker but one thing I learned from an early stage is the more you worry about it, the worse it gets. Almost everyone tends to occasional ectopics but if you find your situation changes then obviously you need to be cautious.
Thanks Flapjack, that seams to be the general consensus. Since my heart attack All my senses are heightened with anything regarding my chest but I do try to keep my feet on the ground and look at things with balance.....
We all understand where you are coming from......sometimes it just helps to get things off your chest.....best of luck.
You need a wearable continuous monitor like a Holter, or a smaller, more modern device like the Zio Patch. Talk to your doctor. It will capture all events automatically. As to how important are events lasting less than 30 seconds, the literature and ep's differ.
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