If you ever visit a doctor for any reason, one of those might be an ECG test. ECG — Electrocardiogram This is an important test that indicates the performance and functioning of your heart. This is crucial since the heart, as you all know too very well, is a main organ for human that pumps blood through your body.
During an ECG test, technician will stick small patches with wires to your skin on chest, arms and legs. These electrodes are crucial in detecting the electrical signals from your heart. They are hooked up to a machine that records every little blip and beat of your heart. The process is rapid and totally painless.
The machine print outs a long thin strip of paper called ECG Paper once the test is over. This paper displays what your heart's electrical activity looks like in the longer term. On the paper you will see lines and squiggles, it may even look like a scribbled drawing from front on. But lines like these are crucial to physicians. They help doctors know how your heart is ticking and if there are any alarms to go off.
ECG paper is essential in helping with the interpretation of your heart rhythm and overall health. It lets doctors know if your heart is beating faster or slower than normal, or irregularly. This can help them to identify potential health problems such as heart disease or in the event of a cardiac arrest which is extremely severe.
The sinus wave on the ECG paper can be considered like a mirror of your heart. Yeah, we had to print the lines and squiggles on huge sheets of paper so that doctors could look at them and decide if you needed help for your heart or not. Now it reads like a chronicle of what has happened to your heart before.
Your heart health needs you to observe the ECG paper very carefully. Doctors look at this paper to determine if there has been any type of heart problem, such as a heart disease or even a mild form of the well-known ‘heart attack. Both of these conditions can negatively affect how your heart works, so it is important to recognize problems if they arise.
If the doctor sees anything on your ECG paper that needs special attention, they may suggest more tests or treatments to help you feel better. This might involve taking medication, changing your lifestyle or — sometimes more tests to understand what is happening with you heart.