EKG
Cardiology & Internal Medicine located in Merrillville , IN
An electrocardiogram, or EKG, is a powerful diagnostic tool to detect heart disease signs. At Queen Of Hearts Cardiovascular & Family Healthcare in Merrillville, Indiana, double board-certified internal medicine physician and cardiologist Stephanie Marshall, DO, FACOI, FACC, and her team offer EKG to shed light on your symptoms. An EKG can help create a treatment plan that meets your needs. If you have questions about the EKG process or other heart-health tools, schedule a visit with Queen Of Hearts Cardiovascular & Family Healthcare at your earliest convenience. You can book an appointment online or over the phone.
An electrocardiogram, called an EKG or ECG, is a test that records your heart’s electrical activity. This screening tool allows your doctor to learn more about:
An EKG can also help diagnose a heart attack if symptoms are present. The test is painless, noninvasive, and delivers fast results. It is commonly used in emergency rooms, urgent care centers, and private medical practices.
Every one of your heartbeats is triggered by an internally generated electrical impulse. Special cells in the upper right portion of your heart create those electrical pulses. An EKG gathers information about that electrical activity through a series of electrodes placed directly on the skin of your chest. These electrodes are then attached to a monitor by wires.
You’ll need to lie still during the test, which only takes a few moments. You should breathe normally and try to stay relaxed. There’s no need for advance preparation and no recovery time afterward.
Your heart’s electrical activity is displayed as waves on a graph. If you look, you can see patterns that match each electrical part of your heartbeat.
The team reviews your results to look for signs of heart trouble. If they detect issues with abnormal rhythm, inadequate blood flow, or structural abnormalities, they may order additional tests to understand your overall heart health better.
It’s important to note that an EKG can only detect heart conditions at the time of the screening. Suppose you have a heart problem that seems to come and go. In that case, you’ll need an additional screening tool that measures your heart function over a longer period, like a Holter monitor, event monitor, stress test, or implantable loop recorder.
The Queen Of Hearts Cardiovascular & Family Healthcare team creates your treatment plan based on the results of those diagnostic tools. There are various options for addressing heart disease, but lifestyle modifications are an important part of the process. The team works with you to create a plan to improve your diet, increase your activity level, and reduce stress.
Book a personalized consultation online or by phone when you’re ready to begin.