To diagnose premature heartbeats, your doctor will need to review your medical and family history as well as your current symptoms. They may also need to perform a physical exam to check your heart and any other abnormalities that may be present.
If there are any signs of concern, your doctor may suggest you have further diagnostic tests to pinpoint the issue. This may include an electrocardiogram to monitor your heart’s activity.
We may ask you to wear a Holter monitor to assess your heart’s electrical activity over 24 to 48 hours. The findings collected over a two-day period are more likely to pick up evidence of premature heartbeats than an electrocardiogram.
If we need to assess your heart’s activity for a longer period of time, we may ask you to wear an event monitor. This device is almost identical to a Holter monitor, but it doesn’t continuously track your heart. Instead, an event monitor will track your heart only when you experience symptoms such as palpitations.
We may also send you for other tests such as blood tests, an echocardiogram (an ultrasound scan of the heart), or a stress test.