An ECG test monitors your heart’s electrical activity and displays it as moving line of peaks and dips. It measures the electrical current that runs through your heart. Everybody has a unique ECG trace but there are patterns of an ECG that indicate various heart problems such as arrhythmias. So what does an electrocardiogram show? In a nutshell, an electrocardiogram shows if your heart is working properly or if it’s experiencing a problem and indicates what that problem is.
Do you want to learn more about ECG tests and arrhythmias? Check our guides ”How to read an electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG)” and ”Let’s talk about (abnormal) heart rhythm.”
What are the benefits of getting ECG?
An ECG test helps screen and diagnose a variety of cardiac problems. It’s the most common way to check if your heart is healthy or monitor existing heart diseases. If you are experiencing symptoms related to heart problems, have a heart disease in your family or have a lifestyle that negatively impacts your health, you might benefit from an ECG scan or long term monitoring.
Can an ECG detect stroke?
Yes. ECG can detect a heart problem that might lead to a stroke or even uncover a past problem such as a previous heart attack. Such ECG results would be classified as abnormal ECG. Often ECG is the prefered method to detect these problems and is frequently used, for example, to confirm and monitor atrial fibrillation (AFib), a condition that leads to blood clots that can result in stroke.
Learn more about atrial fibrillation in our article ”Atrial fibrillation from A to Z.”
What else can an ECG scan find?
There are many heart problems that can be found with the help of an ECG test. The most common are arrhythmias, heart defects, heat inflammation, cardiac arrest, poor blood supply, coronary artery disease or heart attack and many more.
It’s important to establish your heart performance baseline and frequently check for changes in your heart behavior as many heart problems are without symptoms. Your heart health depends on many factors such as your lifestyle, genetic predisposition and other health problems that might affect your heart. Thankfully QardioCore offers an easy way to record your ECG and monitor your heart continuously while building a comprehensive heart health record on your smartphone or tablet. Share it with your doctor as part of your preventative care. Most heart problems are preventable.
Sources:
Mayo Clinic
