What an EKG Reveals About Your Heart

By Tim Barker, Editorial Contributor

If you’ve never visited a cardiologist, you may be unfamiliar with the electrocardiogram (EKG) test that offers a snapshot of your heart’s general health. This painless diagnostic tool also is used to identify irregularities and to monitor at-risk patients.

“With each beat, your heart sends a wave of electricity that tells your heart muscle to squeeze and pump blood,” says Bayfront Health St. Petersburg Medical Group Cardiology. “The EKG records the speed of that wave and its regularity.”

Who Gets an EKG?

Almost everyone who visits a cardiologist will get an EKG at the beginning of the appointment. However, there are some physical symptoms that may prompt your primary care doctor to recommend an EKG, including:

• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain
• Fast or irregular heartbeats
• Dizziness or fainting 

EKGs also are used to keep an eye on at-risk patients not currently experiencing symptoms, including those with a family history of heart disease, smokers, pregnant women or patients with diabetes, high cholesterol or hypertension.

What an EKG Tells Your Doctor

Your cardiologist will look for irregularities with your heartbeat’s rate and frequency. These could warn of conditions such as: 

• Arrhythmias
• Coronary heart disease
• Heart attacks
• Cardiomyopathy

What Happens if Your Doctor Notices an Irregularity?

Once an irregularity is detected, additional evaluations are used to determine what’s happening with your heart. Common follow-up tests include: 

• Stress Test: This shows how well your heart handles increased exertion. It can reveal a restricted blood supply to your heart.  
• Coronary angiography: This uses dye to look for blockages in your arterial system.
• Echocardiogram: High frequency sound waves are used to take pictures of your heart’s chambers, valves, walls and blood vessels.