EKG

An electrocardiogram (EKG) is a fast, painless, and highly accurate way to determine the health of your heart. If you have signs of a cardiovascular condition, an in-office EKG is often the first diagnostic test done by Elvira Neculiseanu, MD, and Aleksandre Toreli, MD, at South Brooklyn Care, in the Brighton Beach neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. Call the South Brooklyn Care office today or use the online booking feature if you have questions about EKGs or want a risk assessment for heart disease.

What is an EKG?

An EKG is a quick way to get information about how well your heart works. EKGs show the heart’s electrical activity, revealing signs of a heart attack and cardiovascular disease. An EKG is the same as an ECG. Both abbreviations refer to the same procedure, but are based on English (electrocardiogram, ECG) or German (elektrokardiogramm, EKG) spelling. 

When would I need an EKG?

Your South Brooklyn Care physician could do an EKG if you have symptoms of heart disease, like chest pain, dizziness, or shortness of breath. An EKG can help diagnose many conditions, including:

• Abnormal heartbeat
• Heart inflammation
• Heart failure
• Coronary artery blockages
• Damaged heart muscles
• Enlarged heart muscles
• Faulty heart valves
• Heart attacks
• Heart defects

You might need regularly scheduled EKGs to monitor your health after a heart attack or evaluate your treatment's effectiveness for a heart condition.

Do I need a screening EKG?

If you’re at high risk for heart disease, your provider will likely recommend routine EKGs to screen for early signs of problems. EKG screenings find heart conditions long before symptoms develop, giving you the chance to begin early treatment to prevent heart disease.

The factors that put you at risk include:

• Increasing age
• Smoking
• Being overweight
• Lack of exercise
• Family history of heart disease
• Diabetes
• High cholesterol
• High blood pressure (hypertension)

The best way to learn about your risk of future heart disease is to schedule an evaluation at South Brooklyn Care. Their caring physicians thoroughly evaluate your medical history and lifestyle. They identify your risks and recommend steps you can take to keep your heart healthy.

What happens during an EKG?

When you get an EKG, your provider places self-adhesive electrodes on your chest, arms, and legs. If necessary, they shave body hair in the areas where they put the electrodes to ensure a good connection and accurate results.

After connecting the electrodes with wires to the EKG machine, they start your EKG. This procedure is called a resting EKG because you only need to lie still. (An exercise EKG is done during a cardiac stress test.)

The electrodes pick up electrical signals and send the information to the EKG machine. The machine records your heart activity on paper.

Attaching and connecting the electrodes takes about 10 minutes. Recording your EKG takes just a few minutes, and you shouldn’t experience any pain or discomfort during the procedure.

Call South Brooklyn Care today or request an appointment online if you need to schedule an EKG or want to learn about your risk of heart disease.