What Does An ECG Test Show and Why You Need To Monitor Your ECG?

An ECG (electrocardiogram)or EKGs documents the electrical movement of your heart at rest. It gives data about your pulse (heart rate) and rhythm and depicts if there is an enlargement of the heart because of high blood pressure (hypertension) or proof of past coronary failure (myocardial infarction). ECGs from healthy hearts have a trademark shape. On the off chance that the ECG shows an alternate shape, it could be due to a heart issue.

The ECG is a safe and non-evasive procedure with no documented risks. Nonetheless, it doesn’t depict asymptomatic blockages in the arteries of your heart or foresee your danger of a future heart attack. The resting ECG is unique in relation to stress or exercise ECG or risk factors for coronary illness, for example, hypertension, or symptoms, for example, palpitations, breathlessness, dizziness, fainting, irregular heartbeats or chest ache.

A physician may also suggest the ECG for patients who have a family history of heart disease, are smokers, overweight, have diabetes, or high cholesterol. Or on the other hand, you may require it on the off chance that you as of now have a coronary illness.

 

Can an ECG Detect a Stroke?

Yes. ECG can recognize a heart issue that may prompt a stroke or even reveal a past issue, for example, a past coronary failure. Such ECG results would be delegated as anomalous ECG. Frequently, ECG is the prefered technique to identify these issues and is often utilized, for instance, to affirm and screen atrial fibrillation (AFib), a condition that prompts to blood clots that can bring about a stroke.

 

What Else Can an ECG Scan Detect?

There are numerous heart issues that can be found with the assistance of an ECG test. The most well-known are arrhythmias, heart defects, heart inflammation, heart failure, poor blood supply, coronary artery d diseases or heart failures and some more.

 

The ECG Procedure:

There is no reason to refrain from eating or drinking food or drink before having an ECG test. However, let your primary care physician know about what drugs you are taking before you have an ECG, and in the event that you have any allergies to the adhesive tapes that might be utilized to join the electrodes. At the point when you go for an ECG test, you should take off your upper clothing with the goal that the electrodes can be joined to your chest and appendages. (For ladies, wearing a different top with pants or a skirt can permit simple access to the chest.)

The chosen sites are shaved if the need arises. Electrodes (sensors) are connected to the chest, arms and legs with suction cups or sticky gel. These cathodes distinguish the electrical currents produced by the heart – these are estimated and recorded by the electrocardiograph. Each beat of your heart is activated by an electrical impulse typically created by special cells in the upper right chamber of your heart (pacemaker cells). An electrocardiogram records the timing and strength of these signals as they travel through your heart.

 

An electrocardiogram is additionally called a 12-lead EKG or 12-lead ECG since it accumulates data from 12 unique zones of the heart. These views are made by electrodes, normally 10, put on the skin of your chest and sometimes on your appendages. The electrical activity is recorded as waves on a diagram, with various examples relating to each electrical period of your heartbeat

 

The three major types of ECGs are:

1. Resting ECG – you lie down for this kind of ECG. No movement is permitted during the test, because electrical impulses produced by different muscles may meddle with those created by your heart. This kind of ECG, for the most part, takes 5 to 10 minutes
2. Ambulatory ECG – in the event that you have an ambulatory or Holter ECG you wear a portable recording gadget for a minimum of 24 hours. You are allowed to move around regularly while the screen is connected. This kind of ECG is utilized for individuals whose symptoms are irregular (stop-start) and may not appear on a resting ECG, and for individuals recuperating from heart failure to guarantee that their heart is working appropriately. You record your symptoms in a journal and note when they happen so your own experience can be contrasted with the ECG
3. Heart stress test – this test is utilized to record your ECG while you ride on an exercise bicycle or walk on a treadmill. This kind of ECG takes around 15 to 30 minutes to finish.

The kind of ECG you have will rely upon your symptoms and the heart issue suspected. For instance, an activity ECG might be suggested if your side effects are activated by physical movement, though a mobile ECG might be progressively reasonable if your indications are erratic and happen in arbitrary, short episodes. An ECG recording machine will generally show your heart rhythm and electrical activity as a diagram showed electronically or printed on paper. For a mobile ECG, the ECG machine will store the data about your heart electronically, which can be accessed by a specialist when the test is finished.

 

An electrocardiogram is a safe technique. You’ll have no danger of getting an electrical shock during the test in light of the fact that the cathodes set on your body don’t discharge power. They just record the electrical activity of your heart. You may have minor uneasiness, like removing a bandage, when the electrodes are taken out. Once in a while, a reaction to the cathode glue may cause redness or swelling where the patches were put.

 

The full list of heart problems detected through a heart disease:

1. Congenital heart problems associated with the electrical system,
2. Arrhythmia- rapid, slow or irregular heartbeats
3. Enlargement of the heart
4. Poor blood supply to the heart
5. Pericarditis or myocarditis (inflammation of the heart)
6. Cardiac arrest
7. Anomalous positioning of the heart
8. Imbalances in electrolytes that manage heart activity
9. Coronary occlusion (blockage of arteries)
10. Previous heart attacks

An individual with coronary illness may have a normal ECG result if the condition doesn’t cause an aggravation in the electrical activity of the heart. Other analytic techniques might be suggested if a coronary illness is suspected.

Also Read About: 10 Essential Health Tests for Every Women

What should you do to protect your heart?

These steps can aid in protecting your heart, regardless of whether you have a coronary illness or simply need to forestall it.

1. Know your dangers. Converse with your primary care physician. Your danger of coronary illness relies upon numerous things, for example, your age, sex, ethnicity, cholesterol, pulse, and in the event that you smoke or have diabetes.
2. Lower your risks. The most ideal approaches to bring down your risk of coronary illness are to:

• Know about your risk factors.
• Don’t develop the habit of smoking.
• Exercise regularly and be physically active.
• Know and regulate your blood pressure.
• Eat a healthy diet that is high in fibre, lower in fat, particularly saturated and trans fats, lower in sodium, incorporates loads of fruits and vegetables, and incorporates bits of food that are in accordance with your degree of physical movement.
• Accomplish and maintain a healthy weight.
• Deal with your diabetes.
• Limit the drinking of liquor.
• Decrease stress.
• Visit your primary care physician consistently and follow your doctor’s recommendation.
• Know and control your blood cholesterol.

Regularly get your blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and blood sugar tested by your primary care physician. These tests are shown to help measure your danger of having a coronary illness.

 

Therefore, if you suspect that you are at risk of getting heart diseases it is important that you go get yourself tested especially if you possess the risk factors. Sometimes these heart diseases do not show symptoms in the early stages so it is ideal that you get an ECG done with your regular health check-ups. It’s imperative to build up your heart performance baseline and as often as possible check for changes in your heart behaviour because a number of heart issues do not display symptoms. Your heart wellbeing relies upon numerous components, for example, your way of life, hereditary inclination and other medical issues that may influence your heart.