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ECG
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ECG

Electrocardiography is the process of producing an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), a recording of the heart’s electrical activity. It is an electrogram of the heart which is a graph of voltage versus time of the electrical activity of the heart using electrodes placed on the skin.

An electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) records the electrical signal from the heart to check for different heart conditions. Electrodes are placed on the chest to record the heart’s electrical signals, which cause the heart to beat. The signals are shown as waves on an attached computer monitor or printer.

What is an ECG?

An electrocardiogram, also referred to as an EKG or ECG, is a test that doctors can perform to detect any abnormal heart rhythms as well as how fast or slow your heart beats. An EKG is one of the simplest and quickest ways to get an accurate reading of your heartbeat. It does so by reading the electrical impulses your heart sends out with every pulse. 

To perform an EKG, your doctor places electrodes in specific places on your skin, including near your heart and sometimes on your arms and legs. The electrodes are connected by wires to an EKG machine, and the electrodes transmit the electrical impulses generated by your heart. No electricity is sent into your body during an EKG. The procedure is painless and noninvasive, and risks are minimal and rare.

Benefits of getting an ECG

Doctors can use an EKG to detect heart problems or check on existing problems. Among the many benefits, an EKG can help do the following: 

  • Uncover the cause of chest pain
  • Uncover the cause of chest fluttering
  • Evaluate shortness of breath, chest tightness, and other heart-related symptoms
  • Check for abnormally fast or slow heart rates
  • Check for irregular heartbeats, such as skipped beats
  • Determine the overall health of your heart
  • Check on your heart health before and after surgery
  • Find out if a heart medication is working
  • See how a pacemaker is working

You may also want to get an ECG because of your family’s medical history. If you have a family history of cardiovascular disease, an ECG can catch complications early, often before symptoms arise. Furthermore, some medications put a patient at risk for certain heart complications and irregularities and an ECG can help detect those complications.