Welcome to HeartBug!
Relax, this is going to be easy!
Here are the top 7 things to remember
- HeartBug – keep it on the whole time. Even in the shower. Even in bed. Don’t take it off (except swimming or bath).
- Phone – keep the app running in the background – don’t quit it. Keep your phone charged.
- Spare stickers and return envelope – keep them in a safe place as you will be needing them both.
- If you feel your symptoms, open the app and tap “Make a Recording”. Choose a symptom from the list or tap on “something else” and tell us what you were feeling, then tap “Submit”.
- If you want to check that everything is working properly, you can tap “See My Heart” to check the signal quality. It’s also good for impressing your friends. But don’t try and read the ECG (unless you’re a cardiologist yourself.)
- If one of your stickers falls off, replace it with a new one. If your stickers are itchy or annoying, call or text us using the buttons in the app. See the FAQ below for a pic of a nice spray which fixes irritation.
- At the end, post your HeartBug back to us in the return envelope. Make sure your name is on the back of the envelope so we can check it in.
Safety note: Please remember this is not an emergency service. If you feel really unwell, call an ambulance.
Where to put the Stickers
Getting Started:
fit the Bug, install the App
(click to open)
How to Use the App
and some FAQs
(click to open)
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I need to wear HeartBug?
Your doctor will have enrolled you for 1 week to 4 weeks, depending on what is required. We will let you know when it’s finished. You can also check how many days you have left by tapping Menu and looking in the red box at the top.
Can I have a shower?
Yes, of course! You were going to go for a month without a shower? Here’s how to do it:
- Keep everything on – it’s all waterproof
- Have your shower and be careful not to scrub your stickers!
- Pat your stickers and HeartBug gently with a towel to dry them.
- If you’re having a bath or going swimming, take it off (but leave your stickers on).
Is HeartBug waterproof?
Yes. And so are the stickers. They will survive the shower as long as you don’t scrub them.
And no need to worry about sweat or splashes or rain – HeartBug can handle those.
The only thing HeartBug won’t like is swimming – it just won’t work in the water (the water stops HeartBug hearing the electrical signals from your heart), so it’s best to take it off for swimming sessions. Just disconnect gently from the stickers and leave the stickers on.
When should I tap the “Make a Recording” button in the app?
Tap the “Make a Recording” button whenever you feel the symptoms which are bothering you. This is different for everyone; it could be dizziness, palpitations, fainting, tightness, chest pain etc. Most people have “big ones” and “little ones” (symptoms, that is.) Go to the app, tap the “Make a Recording” button and then tap on the symptom you were feeling. You can also type your own symptom at the bottom of the list. Then tap the “Submit” button. All this will show on the report, so your doctor can easily match what you were feeling to the recording.
You are in charge here – if you want to show the doctor what you are feeling, then you have to tap the button. All the recordings have a time/date stamp as well, so you can go back to your doctor and say “The big one was last Wednesday morning at 11am” and you can see exactly which one it was on the report.
It happened really quickly and I didn’t record in time
OK, here’s a little secret. HeartBug is actually monitoring all the time. When you press the record button, it will save the last 20 seconds before you pressed the button and then start recording for the next 60 seconds. So there’s no rush. You have up to 20 seconds to press the button and we will still see the start of your symptoms.
Also, if you fainted, there’s no need to wake up and quickly reach for your HeartBug within 20 seconds. It will have recorded it automatically as soon as it saw the problem.
Do I have to wear HeartBug all the time?
Yes, you do.
In fact, the only real instruction here is “don’t take it off”!
You need to have it on and ready to record whenever your symptoms happen. (If you’re not wearing it, you might miss “the big one you’ve been telling your doctor about” and you will be annoyed at yourself.)
The second reason is that HeartBug is actually watching all the time and will record things which are abnormal, yet you may not actually feel or be aware of. This often turns up important information and is very useful for catching things before they can cause problems later. You want to do that, right?
Also, wear it when you are sleeping. Sometimes things are happening while you are asleep and we would like to know what they are. You don’t have to wake up and tap the button – HeartBug will do all this automatically while you sleep. Relax – there’s no microphone so we can’t hear you snoring.
When should I change the stickers?
No need. Leave them alone. Only replace one if it falls off. The reason we don’t change them regularly is that pulling them off irritates your skin. And in fact, the stickers usually work really well right up until they fall off.
My skin is getting irritated
If you get red marks from the stickers, here’s a way to give your skin a rest: when changing stickers, put the new sticker slightly to the side of the sore position, and put some cream on the sore part to heal it.
There’s also a fabulous hydrocortisone spray called DermAid 1% which you can buy without prescription at pharmacies. It works wonders on the sore part, and also spray it under the new sticker before you put it on, to prevent soreness.
Whoops! I accidentally knocked the HeartBug/flylead/sticker off
No worries. Just connect it back up again. Check that it’s working properly by tapping the “See My Heart” button in the app.
How do I get more stickers?
In the app, choose Menu / More Stickers Please! We will post them to you the same day.
Do the eyes on the HeartBug always have to be on the top, looking up?
YES – if the eyes are on the bottom looking down, your ECG will appear upside down!
What do the flashes mean?
Green = “leads on” or wake up
Red = “leads off” or firmware updating (app will also alert you to leads off)
Blue = Bluetooth pairing
Why would you tap “See my heart”?
Check that everything is working
See if the signal quality is good and the stickers are still OK
See how much longer your monitoring has to go
Impress your friends
NOT to diagnose yourself (you’re not a cardiologist)
I want to know what my recordings show
Of course you do! At the end of the monitoring period we will send a full report to your referring doctor. They will discuss it with you. Unfortunately, we cannot discuss results with you because we are not your physician and do not know your entire clinical situation.
I’m feeling really unwell, what do I do?
You stop reading this and dial 000. HeartBug is a fantastic monitor, but all it does is record your heart; it can’t save your life. You need to call an ambulance and get some urgent care. And please – DON’T WAIT FOR IT TO PASS. If something is seriously wrong, you have to call immediately. Waiting could just make it worse. And you’re not being a nuisance either, the ambos love to save lives – they want you to call.
The guy in the video is really handsome…
Thankyou. We get that a lot. No need to call and tell us. Sadly, he is already married and off the market. But you can feel free to show your appreciation with gifts of single malt whisky or dark chocolate. He loves those.
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