It is a frequent test used to detect heart issues and track the heart's standing in several conditions. Electrocardiograms -- also known as ECGs or EKGs -- are usually done in a physician's office, a hospital or a hospital area. And they have become standard equipment in working rooms and ambulances. These detectors are often left for only a couple of minutes. Your physician can discuss your results with you the exact same day as your own electrocardiogram or in another appointment. A physician may suggest an ECG for men and women that might be in danger of heart disease since there's a history of cardiovascular disease, or because they smoke, are obese, or have diabetes, obesity, higher cholesterol or higher blood pressure.
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Dizziness
- Fainting, or
- Fast or irregular heartbeats (palpitations).
ECGs are often conducted to track the health of those who've been diagnosed with heart issues, to help evaluate artificial neural pacemakers or to track the effects of certain medicines on the center.
Types of electrocardiograms
But some heart troubles come and go. In such situations, you might require longer or more technical observation.
- Stress test
Some heart problems only arise through exercise. During stress testing, you will have an EKG while you are exercising. Normally, this evaluation is done while you are on a treadmill or stationary bike.
- Holter monitor
Electrodes attached to a torso record information onto a mobile, battery-operated monitor which you could carry in your pocket, in your belt, or on a shoulder strap.
- Event recorder
Symptoms that don't occur very often may need an event recorder. Some event recorders trigger automatically whenever they detect symptoms. Other event recorders ask that you push a button once you are feeling symptoms. You may send the information straight to your physician over a phone line.
How can it be done?
Little metallic electrodes are stuck to your arms, legs, and torso. The device detects and amplifies the electrical impulses which exist at every heartbeat and documents them to some computer or paper. A couple of heartbeats are listed from other sets of electrodes. The test takes approximately five minutes to perform.
How Can I Prepare?
Keep away from fatty or fatty skin creams and lotions daily of this evaluation since they can continue to keep the electrodes from contact with your skin.
Keep away from high-end hosiery, because electrodes will need to be set directly in your thighs.
Put on a shirt which you could remove easily to set the leads in your chest.
When are ECGs required?
Sometimes, it may be important to find this evaluation. You should probably have an ECG for those who have risk factors such as an enlarged heart like hypertension or signs of cardiovascular diseases, such as chest discomfort, shortness of breath, an irregular heartbeat or thick heartbeats. You might want the test for screening or occupational conditions, or in case you've got a family or personal history of cardiovascular disease, diabetes or other dangers and you wish to get started exercising.
Treatment choices
By way of example, some individuals have a very slow pulse in which the center does not run electrical signals in the right order. This individual might take a pacemaker, which can help restore your heart to a normal rhythm.
Other folks may require drugs taken regularly to keep a more normal heart rhythm.
Someone with a heart attack might necessitate cardiac catheterization or surgery to permit blood flow to come back to the heart.
Individuals with electrolyte imbalances might require correction with fluids or medications. By way of example, an individual who has dehydration might have uncontrollable electrolytes which are resulting in an abnormal EKG. This individual could need fluids, electrolyte-containing drinks, or drugs to restore electrolytes. On occasion, a physician may not recommend any remedies for an abnormal EKG. This might be the situation if somebody does not have annoying symptoms or when the abnormality isn't caused for concern.
