An electrocardiogram is an easy, painless exam that measures your heart’s electrical activity. It’s also referred to as an ECG or EKG. Every heartbeat is caused by an electrical signal that begins at the top of your heart and moves down to the bottom.

Heart problems usually affect the electrical activity of your heart. Your doctor may recommend an ECG if you’re having signs or symptoms that may indicate a heart problem.

Including:

Pain in your chest

Feeling worn out or weak

Pounding, racing, or fluttering of your heart

Trouble breathing

A feeling that your heart is beating irregularly

Identification of uncommon sounds when your doctor listens to your heart


An ECG will assist your doctor in ascertaining the reason for your symptoms along with what type of treatment might be needed.

If you’re 50 or older or if you have a family record or history of heart disease, your doctor may order an ECG to search for early symptoms of heart disease.

What takes place in the course of an electrocardiogram?

An ECG is quick, painless, and harmless. After you are dressed into a gown, a technician attaches 12 to 15 soft electrodes with a gel to your chest, arms, and legs. The technician may have to shave small potions to make sure the electrodes stick well to your skin. Each electrode is about the size of a quarter. These electrodes are connected to electrical leads (wires), which are then attached to the ECG machine.

During the test, you’ll be asked to lie still on a table whilst the machine documents your heart’s electrical activity and places the records on a graph. Try to lie as still as you can and breathe normally. You shouldn’t speak at any point of the test.

After the procedure, the electrodes are detached and discarded. The entire process takes about 10 minutes.

What risks are involved?

There are a few risks related to an ECG. Some persons may have a skin rash at the place where the electrodes were placed, however, this typically goes away without any treatment.

People presently undergoing a stress test may be at risk of having a heart attack, however, this is related to the exercise, not the ECG.

An ECG basically observes the electrical activity of your heart. It doesn’t produce any electrical energy and is totally safe.

Getting prepared for your ECG

Avoid drinking cold water or exercising prior to your ECG. Drinking cold water can affect and result in changes in the electrical patterns that the test records. Exercise can amplify your heart rate and have an effect on the test results.

INTERPRETING THE RESULTS OF AN ECG

If your ECG indicates normal results, your doctor will probably discuss them with you at a follow-up visit.

An ECG can help your doctor know if:

Your heart is beating too fast, too slow, or unevenly.

You have blocked arteries or coronary artery disease.

You’re having a heart attack or you’ve previously had a heart attack.

You have heart defects, which include an enlarged heart, a lack of blood flow, or birth defects.

You have issues with your heart’s valves.

Your doctor will use the results of your EKG to know if any treatment or medication can recuperate your heart’s condition.