An Electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG) is a quick, simple, non-invasive test that helps provide a print out of your heart’s electrical rhythms. The purpose of the test is to check for signs of heart disease by placing electrode patches on your legs, arms, or chest that will track electrical activity of your ticker. There are several pieces of information that will be gained from performing an EKG. It is instrumental to:
- Analyzing your heart’s rhythm
- Determining whether a heart attack is likely to occur
- Checking for ischemia, a condition that results in poor blood flow to the heart
- Detecting any abnormalities in the heart like a thickened heart muscle, for example
What Is The Appointment like?
Electrocardiogram appointments are quick, easy, and painless. During the procedure, your cardiologist will attach several electrodes to your skin. Typically, you’ll lay down while the results are displayed on while the information is recorded on a computer or graph paper. This is known as resting EKG. However, other forms of electrocardiograms will require you to be running.
The whole procedure should take no more than 15-30 minutes. If you have any questions about this or any of our other procedures here at Stockton Cardiology, don’t hesitate to give us a call.