Cardiologist Serving Katy, Sugar Land, Greater Houston
If you have symptoms such as palpitations, dizziness or near-fainting that don’t show up during a brief EKG, a Holter monitor can record every heartbeat while you go about your day, usually for 24 to 48 hours. At Advanced Cardiology in Katy, Holter monitoring is performed or arranged by our office and reviewed by our board-certified cardiologist, with follow-up to explain your results.
Dr. Khalid reviews your symptoms, history and test results himself
Visits in Katy and Sugar Land
Catheter and device procedures at an affiliated hospital
Office follow-up on medicines and risk factors
A Holter monitor is a small, wearable recorder that continuously records your heart’s electrical activity, usually for 24 to 48 hours. Some newer patch-style monitors can be worn for longer when your cardiologist needs more data. Unlike a standard EKG, which records only about 10 seconds, a Holter monitor captures every heartbeat over a day or more, so it is well suited to symptoms that happen daily or almost daily.
Advanced Cardiology sees patients at our Katy and Sugar Land offices, including patients from Richmond and nearby communities. Holter monitoring is used to evaluate symptoms like unexplained palpitations, dizziness or near-fainting. Our board-certified cardiologist, Dr. Adnan Khalid, reviews your recording together with your symptom diary to look for rhythm changes that a short office test may miss.
Careful monitoring helps identify arrhythmias, explain symptoms and guide treatment. It also has limits: a Holter monitor records electrical rhythm only and is not a test for blocked arteries, heart muscle strength or valve problems.
Adnan Khalid, MD, Cardiologist
Adnan Khalid, MD, specializes in treating coronary artery disease, peripheral artery disease, heart failure, hypertension, arrhythmias, and hyperlipidemia. He has over 10 years of experience in the field of cardiovascular medicine.
Dr. Khalid graduated from his medical school among the top 10 out of 250 medical students in his class. He is fellowship trained in cardiovascular diseases, interventional cardiology, advanced heart failure, and transplant cardiology. He is focused on providing personalized and compassionate care. Dr. Khalid believes in spending time with his patients and listening to their needs and is committed to offering excellent care.
Dr. Khalid is an avid reader. He is eager to learn new things, and he likes to work out and spend time with his family. When off from work, he likes to travel and spend time in nature along with family and friends. He is married with three children. Dr. Adnan Khalid is now seeing patients at our Katy and Sugar Land clinics—accepting new patients from Houston and surrounding areas.
American Board of Internal Medicine
Interventional Cardiology
If your heart symptoms are brief or unpredictable, a standard EKG may not catch the problem. That is when cardiologists often recommend Holter monitor testing, which records your heart rhythm continuously, usually for 24 to 48 hours.
Irregular Heartbeat or Palpitations
Why it matters: Fluttering, pounding or skipped beats may be caused by an arrhythmia, though they can also have harmless causes.
How Holter helps: Captures heart rhythm patterns throughout the day and during different activities to look for premature beats (PVCs or PACs), AFib or SVT. Learn more about heart palpitations and irregular heartbeat care.
Unexplained Dizziness or Near-Fainting
Why it matters: These symptoms may be related to a heart rate that is too slow, too fast or pausing.
How Holter helps: Tracks the heart over time to identify pauses, bradycardia or heart block that may explain symptoms.
Counting Premature Beats
Why it matters: If you have frequent extra beats, how many you have can affect treatment decisions.
How Holter helps: Measures how often premature beats occur over a full day.
Fatigue or Weakness Without a Known Cause
Why it matters: Fatigue has many causes; a rhythm problem is only one possibility.
How Holter helps: Looks for abnormal rhythms or slow heart rates that could contribute to low energy.
Checking Treatment
Why it matters: Heart rhythm medicines and some devices need follow-up.
How Holter helps: Shows heart rate and rhythm over a full day, for example to check rate control in atrial fibrillation.
Chest pain is different. A Holter monitor is not designed to diagnose blocked heart arteries. Chest discomfort is usually evaluated with other tests, such as stress testing or imaging. If chest discomfort lasts more than a few minutes, goes away and comes back, or comes with shortness of breath, a cold sweat, nausea, lightheadedness or discomfort in the arms, back, neck, jaw or stomach, call 911. Call 911 for stroke signs such as face drooping, arm weakness or speech difficulty, even if they go away.
Intermittent arrhythmias (irregular heart rhythms):
Detects episodes of AFib, SVT, bradycardia or ventricular arrhythmias, which helps determine whether medicines, lifestyle changes or, for some patients, a device such as a pacemaker should be considered.
Heart rate patterns and response to activity:
Shows how your heart rate changes during sleep, daily tasks and exertion, which can help explain symptoms.
Possible ST-segment changes:
The report may note changes that can sometimes reflect reduced blood flow to the heart. These findings are not diagnostic on their own; if there is concern about blocked arteries, your cardiologist will discuss tests designed for that question.
Heart block or pauses:
Can detect episodes of heart slowing or missed beats that might explain dizziness or fainting and may inform decisions about pacemaker implantation.
Effects of medicines or devices:
Shows whether your current treatment is controlling your rhythm or whether adjustments may help.
A Holter records only the period you wear it. If symptoms did not happen during that time, a normal result does not rule out an intermittent arrhythmia, and a longer event monitor or implantable loop recorder may be considered. It also does not measure heart pumping strength or valve function; an echocardiogram answers those questions.
If your symptoms come and go, a standard EKG may not capture the problem. A Holter monitor records your heart’s activity continuously, usually over 24 to 48 hours, so your cardiologist can look for patterns missed during a quick office test.
You may need a Holter monitor if:
You have unexplained dizziness, palpitations or near-fainting
Your EKG was normal or inconclusive, but symptoms continue
You notice irregular heartbeats or fluttering sensations most days
Your cardiologist wants to see how your heart rate responds to daily activities
You take heart rhythm medicine and need a check on how well it is working
Still wondering if a Holter monitor is right for you?
Schedule a consultation at our Katy or Sugar Land office to discuss your symptoms and testing options.
Advanced Cardiology accepts most major insurance plans, and coverage is verified individually. Holter monitoring is often covered when it is medically necessary, but benefits and authorization rules vary, so please confirm with our office or your insurance provider before your test.
Holter results help Dr. Khalid connect your symptoms to what your heart was actually doing and guide decisions such as:
Electrodes are placed on your chest and connected to the recorder, or a patch is applied. Wear comfortable clothing, and avoid lotions on your chest that day. Ask how to bathe with your specific device, since many recorders must stay dry. Go about your normal routine and keep a diary of symptoms, activities and the time they happened. Keep taking your medicines unless your care team gives you specific instructions. When the monitoring period ends, you return the device as instructed.
Important: A Holter monitor only records; no one is watching it in real time. If you have possible heart attack or stroke symptoms while wearing it, call 911.
Holter monitoring is non-invasive. Some people get mild skin irritation from the electrodes. After the recording is analyzed, Dr. Khalid reviews the report and discusses the findings and any next steps with you, usually at a follow-up visit.
Yes, in most cases. Your cardiologist usually wants to see your heart during typical activity, including sleep. Avoid activities that would get the recorder wet or pull the electrodes off, and note any exercise in your diary.
A normal result is reassuring for the time recorded, but it does not rule out a rhythm problem that happens less often. If symptoms continue, tell your cardiologist so longer monitoring can be discussed.
Sources: MedlinePlus: Holter Heart Monitor; NHLBI: Heart Tests; NHLBI: Arrhythmias; American Heart Association: Warning Signs of a Heart Attack.
Please print out your paperwork and bring it to your appointment at Advanced Cardiology. If your insurance requires authorization, please be sure to have that information sent to our office or bring it with you to your appointment, along with any medical records you may have. Please also make sure to bring your insurance cards, photo ID, and medication list.
Thank you, and we look forward to meeting you! Contact us with any questions.
Most insurance plans accepted
(713) 258-6111
Katy & Sugar Land Cardiologist
# Cooperative & professional staff. Dr. Khalid is highly competent & experienced. Very kind & friendly too.
# He’s A Very Caring & Concerned Doctor. He Asks Important Questions, He Allows Me To Ask Questions & Fully Answers To My Satisfaction. He Diagnosis & Does Whatever It Takes To Fix My Health Issues. He’s A Wonderful Doctor…& Most Of All, I Trust Him & His Staff.
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Katy & Sugar Land Cardiologist
Advanced Cardiology welcomes new patients at its offices in Katy and Sugar Land. Call our office or send an appointment request, and our staff will follow up.
Most major insurance plans accepted; coverage is verified individually.
For possible heart attack or stroke symptoms, call 911.
