Q: I've been getting heart palpitations. What tests should I ask for when I visit the doctor?
A: "Palpitations—sensations of irregular or rapid heart beats—are very common," says Jerold Shinbane, M.D., director of the USC Arrhythmia Center at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. More often than not, these sensations have no significant medical meaning. But, occasionally, they may signal an underlying heart condition. A doctor investigating your palpitations should begin by taking a comprehensive history and doing a full physical exam, including an electrocardiogram and blood work, Shinbane notes. "Based on this information, your physician will be able to decide whether monitoring is required." Arrhythmia monitoring is done using either a Holter monitor—which records every heart beat for a period of one to two days—or an 'event monitor,' which can be used over a period of months to assess palpitations that occur less frequently. The results of these studies, Shinbane says, will guide your physician in making decisions about your need for treatment, further assessment, or observation.
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