EKG (electrocardiogram)

Advanced Cardiac Diagnostics

An electrocardiogram—also called an EKG or ECG—examines the electrical activity of your heartbeat to uncover any problems. An electrical impulse is passed through the heart, and the heart’s electrical activity will be recorded on paper in the form of line tracings, with a series of dips and spikes or “waves.” EKGs are painless and cause no harm or danger. Learn more about what to expect when receiving an EKG at Washington Health Medical Group.

What Does an EKG Do?

An EKG reveals two major pieces of information:

• How long it takes for the electrical wave to pass through your heart; demonstrating whether the activity is normal, or if it is fast, slow, or irregular
• Measuring the amount of electrical waves passed through the heart muscle to find out if any parts of your heart or overworked or too large

Results of Your Electrocardiogram

Your WHMG doctor can read the results of your EKG by examining the “waves” or spikes and dips in line tracings. This pattern can reveal important information about your heart.

There are multiple purposes of an EKG; including:

• Finding out why chest pain / pressure is occurring
• Showing if heart chambers’ walls are too thick
• Discovering if certain symptoms such as fainting, dizziness, shortness of breath, and / or heart palpitations are related to heart disease
• Determining if heart medications are effective
• Determining if mechanical devices such as pacemakers are effective and working
• Checking heart health in cases where the patient has other conditions / diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or a family medical history of early-onset heart disease

Washington Health Medical Group is a prominent medical provider passionate about providing the best heart care in the communities where we offer care. Visit us for care or learn more about our cardiology department on our website.