Will an ECG Show Heart Problems?
An ECG Test records the heart’s rate, rhythm, and electrical activity. ECG testing is a diagnostic tool used by healthcare practitioners to detect problems with the heart’s electrical signalling that may have implications for your heart function and overall health.
Our ECG heart test offers a quick, easy, and accurate way to check on your heart health ensuring that your heart is functioning as it should. An ECG check is included in our Health MOTs and can also be booked as an individual test.
Explore our health assessment packages and book your ECG Test today!
What is an Electrocardiogram (ECG)?
An Electrocardiogram, otherwise known as an ECG test, measures the heart’s rate, rhythm, and electrical activity. Electrode patches are applied to the arms, legs, and chest. Wires connect these electrodes to an ECG machine, translating electrical signals from the heart into a graph line.
An ECG typically shows the electrical impulses moving through the different chambers of the heart. An abnormal ECG graph line may show pauses or extra beats that may indicate an irregular heartbeat. Equally, if the distance between the peaks is too short or too long, this may suggest a heart rate that is faster or slower than normal.
Electrocardiograms are a quick and non-invasive way of checking your heart health. To prepare for an ECG heart test, loose clothing should be worn which is easy to remove. Also, avoid using body lotions to help the sticky electrode pads adhere to the skin properly.
What Can an ECG Show?
An Electrocardiogram or ECG records the regularity and rate of heartbeats. The recorded data is then used to identify any irregularities which may suggest the development of certain heart conditions. An ECG heart test can also reveal whether an individual shows signs of heart damage as well as abnormal heart rate, rhythm and electrical signalling.
An ECG check can help to detect:
- Heart attacks
- Enlarged heart
- Coronary artery disease
- Heart disease
- Arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm)
- Insufficient blood supply to the heart
- Pericarditis or myocarditis (inflammation of the heart)
Signs you may need an ECG check include:
- Chest pain
- Heart palpitations (feeling like your heart is racing, fluttering or pounding)
- Shortness of breath
- Fatigue
- Fainting
- Sweating
- Dizziness or light headedness
- Confusion
- Decreased ability to exercise
Even if you haven’t experienced these symptoms, an ECG heart test is advised if you have a family history of heart conditions.
Does an ECG Detect a Heart Attack?
An ECG can show whether an individual has suffered a heart attack or multiple episodes of heart damage in the past, as well as predict the risk of future heart attacks. This useful diagnostic tool can reveal signs of past heart attacks that may have gone unnoticed.
Damaged or dead heart tissue, as a result of a heart attack and poor blood supply to the heart, can still show up on an ECG Test, even years after the incident. If you have experienced a heart attack once before, without medical intervention, the chance that you may have another is highly likely.
As for predicting the possibility of a heart attack in the future, an ECG heart test can estimate heart attack risk. Alongside family medical history and other information, the data collected from an ECG check can help to assess an individual’s risk of experiencing a heart attack in the future.
Does an ECG Show Heart Disease?
Coronary heart disease is a serious heart condition caused by blockages and narrowing of the blood vessels. The blood flow is reduced due to fatty deposits lining the walls of the blood vessels. This disrupted blood flow can show up on an ECG as an abnormality in the heart’s electrical activity.
An ECG can be used as a starting point to investigate suspected heart disease as this test can show signs of heart dysfunction and irregularities in heart rate, rhythm, and electrical signalling. If results reveal abnormalities, further testing can then be carried out to establish the specific cause.
How Can I Check my Heart Health?
An ECG Test is an ideal first step to assessing your heart health. The test records information about your heart rate, heartbeat, and your heart’s electrical signalling. An ECG Test can be used to estimate heart attack risk and other heart-related health conditions.
If you want to evaluate your heart health and function, you can book your ECG heart test today and avoid a lengthy waiting time for an appointment. Additionally, with 350+ venues across the UK, we offer accurate and reliable private testing with no invasive procedures, long travel times or busy waiting rooms.
Our ECG Test is included in our Health MOTs. It can also be added to any of our health assessment packages and or be booked as an individual test.
