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What is an Electrocardiogram (ECG) ?
An ECG or Electrocardiogram is a test that checks your heart’s electrical activity. Heart disease is a serious concern in our country today. It is estimated that there are around 30 million patients who suffer from heart disease in India. One of the best approaches to determine the risk of heart disease is ECG tests. At the Long Life Speciality Clinic, we constantly highlight the significance of preventive tests and check-ups to ensure your heart remains healthy.
Our heart has a natural electrical system that causes it to contract as well as pump blood to our body. An ECG or Electrocardiogram is a procedure that examines your heart’s activity. The result is recorded in the form of tracing lines on a paper or computer monitor in the form of a wave.
Why is an ECG test done?
An ECG test is done to detect the following conditions:
1. Arrhythmia : It is a condition in which your heart beats irregularly.
2. Heart attack : During a heart attack, its blood supply is blocked suddenly.
3. Cardiomyopathy : It is a condition where the heart walls become enlarged or thickened.
4. Coronary artery disease : In this disease, the supply of blood gets interrupted by the buildup of fatty substances.
Which are the tests performed during an ECG?
1. Resting ECG
2. Ambulatory ECG
1. Exercise or stress ECG
How is an ECG conducted?
During the ECG test, the doctor will ask you to lie down on a bed or a table. Some areas on your arms, chest and legs may be shaved or cleaned to create a smooth surface for the electrodes to cohere properly. The sensors are attached to your chest, arms, and legs. A computer records the information and displays it in the form of waves on the monitor or paper. You must lie still, breathe naturally, and avoid talking during the test. You may even be asked to hold your breath. The test takes around 5-10 minutes.
How to prepare for an ECG scan?
Some basic discussion and preparation are required before an ECG.
- Make sure that you tell your doctor about all the medications you take, including over-the-counter ones, as there are several medicines that affect the results of an ECG test.
- You must remove all accessories such as jewellery, watches etc from your body before going under the ECG scanner.
How does an ECG help?
An ECG test causes the doctor to-
- Identify the reason behind unexplained chest pain or pressure. The cause can be a heart attack, insufficient flow of blood to your heart muscle (angina) or inflammation of the sac that surrounds and protects your heart or pericarditis.
- Identify the causes and symptoms of cardiovascular diseases, such as palpitations, fainting, dizziness, and shortness of breath.
- Identify whether the walls of the heart chambers are too thick.
- Check how efficiently the medication is working and whether they are causing any side effects that affect the heart.
- Check how efficiently mechanical devices like pacemakers implanted in the heart are working.
- Check your heart health, especially with conditions such as diabetes, cigarette smoking, high cholesterol, high blood pressure or when you have a family history of heart disease.
Long Life Support
At the Long Life Speciality Clinic, we use the latest ECG equipment, follow strict processes and have highly experienced and trained technicians, physicians, nurses and support staff to make sure that each test yields perfect and precise results.
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147, Barakhola, Krishak Pally Rd, Mukundapur, Kolkata, West Bengal 700099
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9874807480
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info@longlifenet.in