Heart rate monitor problems

[middleman]

I am currently in Cardiac rehab and I use a heart rate monitor so that heart rate does not go too high. I have a mechanical valve. But lately when I put one on, I get a bad or low reading. Most of the time, I get readings about half of the actual rate. I have tried a Polar and a Timex exercise watch models with electrode gel on the chest strap and on the exercise machine’s hand grips will not work right( the exercise grips never worked for me even before my surgery) Even a medical grade pulse ox machine will give a low reading. Sometimes after I get warmed up, I will get them to work. When the rehab tech tests the units on himself, they work.

Baring putting a four lead EKG, I am stumped why every heart rate monitor I have tried has this problem. Has anyone ran into this problem before and any suggestions that might solve this issue?

Jim

 

[normofthenorth]

Last week, my chest-strap monitor seemed to be reading too high -- like in the high 140s during my cardiac rehab, when the nurse and I both got more like 120! I've since replaced its battery, haven't tried it again yet. I'm sometimes getting PACs, so it's conceivable that the electrodes pick up those "ectopic" beats that don't produce pulses. None of that helps explain what you're experiencing, though, sorry!

 

[epstns]

I have lots of problems with heart rate monitors since surgery. I've always attributed the problem to the fact that I have a pacemaker, assuming that the normal electrical currents the devices read may no longer be present. Jim - do you have a pacemaker? If so, there may be some connection. If not, . . .

I have several monitors, Polar's and whatever the Sports Authority store brand is. The Polar sometimes reads believably, the other not. I even get strange readings on the hand-grip monitors at the fitness centers. I've been using the Polar, and just ignoring it when I know it is off in one of its moods. Since I am highly pacemaker dependent, I know the range I'm programmed for, and my actual heart rate at any specific time is of less concern than it used to be.

 

[tprice54]

I would not count on the hand ggrip HR readings....the only other thing I can offer is batteries. I had a Garmin once that read high and low (I thought) but once I changed the abtteries, it worked fine. Now, my real question is: are your SURE the reading is off? If the pulse ox monitor read low on you, but correct on others, I'd say it IS showing your HR!

 

[middleman]

I have changed the batteries on the watch and chest strap with no luck. When I check my pulse on my wrist or neck, it doesn’t match the pulse ox. As for a pacemaker, I am lucky that I did not get one. Also I have checked for any interferences that might affect the wireless interface.

Another weird note, this morning when did my workout, my monitor worked great. It just hooked up and had the right reading without missing a beat. I am perplexed.

I am starting to notice a pattern starting to form that it might be a time of day. It seams that when I go to rehab or workout in the evening is when I have the issue, but I have had the problem in the morning too. I am kind of thinking it might be stress from work affecting my heart. Normally I leave work in the afternoon and go next door to the rehab office. My job is not a stress free environment even though I am on light duty.

Any thoughts?

By the way, I am checking in with my cardo doctor next week.

Jim

 

[epstns]

I don't know, Jim. I'll watch and see what we turn up here, because I'm getting kind of frustrated with my own monitors here. The comment made that sometimes the monitor seems to read half of what you expect and other times double seems to be common among pacemaker patients. I still don't know what to do about it, but that's what mine does, too. Since I am almost 100% pacemaker-dependent and my pacemaker is set for a maximum heart rate of 150 BPM, I don't really think I can be experiencing a heart rate in the 220's with no discomfort. . . just as I don't think I could be slogging along jogging 12-minute miles at a heart rate in the 80's. Can't be.

When I called tech support at Boston Scientific and asked them about monitors that work with their pacemakers, they directed me to a particular series of Polar monitors. I bought one (not cheap!), but even that one only works some of the time. I guess I'll just have to be satisfied in the knowledge that my heart rate will very likely be within the range of 60 to 150 BPM -- the range programmed into my pacemaker.

 

[Moo La La]

This may sound crazy, but I was having problems with my Polar after surgery. After extensive research I found that if I simply turned the device that snaps onto the strap upside down, I got a consistent and more accurate reading. Sounds nuts, but give it a shot! I've been putting it on upside down since.

 

[epstns]

Now THAT sounds like it might work! I know these things are much more position-critical on some of us, and I'm presuming that pacemakers really confuse the monitors. I'll try upside down asap - I've already tried backwards, but no good for me.

 

[spartangator]

If it helps, I've been using a Polar monitor for the last few years post-surgery and have found a few things that seem to help accuracy.

First is wetting the contact points on the chest strap that touch your skin. I run those bits under the faucet before putting it on, and that seems to help.

Another issue is the age of the chest strap. If it has any decent age to it (year or more), it just seems to be incredibly inconsistent with its readings. Apparently, this is because the internal connections fall apart over time due to the moisture. Not much to do but replace the strap (Amazon.com's been useful there).

Most importantly, though, I find that the key factor in keeping consistent readings is to wear the strap a little tighter than I'd like, and I've heard many others say the same thing. I don't mean constricting , more like just tight enough for it to snug around you. I adjust the strap to where it's comfortable and then pull out just a little more slack.

Also, for what it's worth, way back when, I checked my Polar against the cardiac rehab set-up, and it was spot on. While it's certainly not been perfectly since then, it is nice to know that HR monitors are at least reasonably accurate when they're working.

Hope that's constructive for you, Jim. Best,
--Brad

 

[epstns]

Update on the upside down idea. . .

Well, I tried using my old Polar strap upside down, as Moo La La suggested, and it seems to work! Of course, with my old monitor, this will only work on fitness machines having built-in display units, as the wrist watch portion of the old monitor has long ago failed. I have a new Polar (model FT1) that uses the older style chest strap. I'll try it upside down and see if it gives stable readings on its wrist unit next.

 

[middleman]

Steve, Moo La La,

I will have to try the upside down fix when it has a problem again. It is Murphy’s Law when I posted the problem; it went away and has not come back, yet.

Unfortunately, I had to miss rehab on Thursday and I have not been able to exercise since. My work got really busy over the last few days and the long hours has not been good for me. I am trying to slow down today and put some more work on my staff. But it’s an all hands on deck situation at work. :frown2:

Jim