1. A Few Easy Tests
A routine physical exam may help identify arrhythmia. Your physician will listen to your heartbeat with a stethoscope and check your pulse. Sometimes the doctor can feel the arrhythmia while taking the pulse. Usually you will undergo an EKG. Technicians place leads on your chest around your heart, attach wires and record your heart's activity. This shows how your heart was beating only during the minute of the test. However, it may catch an arrhythmia.
2. Monitoring Your Heartbeat
When a heart arrhythmia or abnormal heartbeat occurs, the electrical impulses in the heart go haywire. Arrhythmia doesn't occur at set times, and therefore it may be difficult to identify which type it is and the cause. One way to help identify the arrhythmia is to wear a halter monitor, which is a small, portable device you are hooked up to usually for a 24-hour period. It records your heart's activity during that time.
3. A Structural View of the Heart
An echocardiogram is one test that can help identify arrhythmia. A transducer moved over your heart provides a picture of its structure. It shows how the heart is beating and may help determine structural abnormalities. It may help diagnose why an arrhythmia has occurred.
4. Stressing Your Heart to Test It
Some arrhythmias occur for no apparent reason. Others tend to occur upon exertion. A stress test can help identify if your arrhythmia is brought on by exercise. You will ride a stationary bike or walk or jog on a treadmill. While you are exercising, you are hooked to a machine that monitors your heart's activity.
5. Undergo a Tilt Test
Sometimes an arrhythmia is caused by a drop in blood pressure, such as when standing up quickly. If your doctor suspects the problem is related to changes in blood pressure, she may order a tilt table test. You will lie on the tilt table, and your blood pressure and heart rate will be monitored as the table is tilted to an upright position.
