Will an ECG show any abnormalities straight away??

[Misskirsty]

I has an ECG or EKG (Same thing??) back in October 2014 due to heart palpitations/missed heartbeats.

I was told it was anxiety even though the ECG never picked up any palpitations just a fast heart rate, (typical) I wondered would the machine pick up anything serious? I have had palpitations more regular recently and being an anxiety sufferer I think the worst.

I've been through the brain tumor fear, Cancer fears amongst other things.
I don't want to go through the heart fear again

How would I know if my missed beats are serious.
Thanks in advance guys xx

[AlexandriaUK]

ECG is very good at spotting problems, did you have any ectopic beats during test

[Misskirsty]

No none at all I get them daily but on and off

[Emilym80]

While it wouldn't have picked up any palpitations if you didn't have them during the test, it would've showed heaps of different conditions like constant arrythmias, heart damage/disease, reduced blood flow, congenital defects etc. Palpitations aren't serious in a healthy heart unless they're every few seconds for months on end, so you probably don't need to worry if they're really bothering you, you could see your GP again and ask for further testing to be doubly sure.

Best wishes

[Frenchy]

ECGs measure and record the electrical activity in and around your heart and cardio vascular system. By measuring this electrical activity nd ECG is able to detect underlying electrical and structural abnormalities in your heart. The reason it can pick up structural – as well as electrical – disturbances is because when the heart develops a structural problem, that has an impact on the way the electrical signals in your heart travel around and the timings of the various activities and contractions of the heart muscle are affected. This information is often evident on an ECG recording.

They are highly sensitive and highly accurate and very good at detecting problems.

Some people are concerned because ECGs look very complicated and they get worried that something might be missed – however cardiologists and technicians are highly trained to be able to quickly identify problems. Added to that, modern ECG machines themselves are also pre-programmed to identify a wide variety of specific issues when they are detected in the recording and will actually highlight/flag these issues on the screen and on the print-out ECG, eliminating a lot of human error.

There are a couple of limitations related to one off “resting ECGs”. Firstly, it is possible in some people for the heart to function normally most of the time, but the patient may sometimes present complaining of occasional arrhythmia or palpitations. Now sometimes certain arrhythmia do only come on occasionally and a one off resting ECG may not pick these up, unless they happen to be occurring at the time. However... the ECG would STILL detect any serious underlying electrical or structural issue’s. So if the ECG is normal, then this strongly suggests that any odd occasional flutter or palpitation is probably highly likely to be just a harmless and completely benign ectopic beat or PVC. These are very common and almost everyone has them (just not everyone notices them.

If the cardiologist (or patient) is still concerned then they may organise a Holter Monitor be fitted for 24/48 hours – or even 7 days in some cases. Holter monitors are mobile ECG recorders that can be fitted to the patient to wear for a longer period of time, so data can be collected over time. This usually has fewer leads – and may record less granular data than a full 12 lead resting ECG - but it records data over a much longer period and will pick up any palpitations of other events and be able to determine exactly what these are.

The only other real limitation is related to Angina. Angina pain is usually a dull burning, tightness or pressure sensation is the chest that can often radiate up to the neck/shoulders/jaw area and also down the arm(s) (most commonly the left arm). Angina typically only comes on during exercise or exertion and is often caused – not by the heart itself - but usually by a restricted blood flow in to the heart muscle caused by blockages in the arteries that lead in to the heart (coronary artery disease). Angina can be seen on ECGs, but only if it happens to be occurring whilst the ECG is taken – which is often not the case with a resting ECG. If the patient is complaining of angina-like pain, then the cardiologist can organise an exercise ECG/stress test (or exercise tolerance test/ ETT – people call it different things) which entails the patient walking at increasing intervals of speed on a treadmill, whilst an ECG is recorded (and usually blood pressure too). This then enables the ECG to record the effects of angina on the heart muscle.

Hope this helps.

[ricardo]

Not mch to add to the post above by Frenchy as it is a subject very close to me at the moment having had a HA 5 months ago.

The initial ECG at my doctor's surgery showed I was actually having a heart attack which had started the day before in all probability, as I had been to the doctor with acid indigestion, which I don't usually suffer from and pain in both wrists.She just gave me something for the acid indigestion and told me to come back the next day for an ECG at 2.0 p.m. as she wrongly thought it was indigstion or at worse angina.
HA come in many gorms and the night after I had two stents inserted in my right artery I missed 2,3, and 9 heart beats whch initially caused concern.

Several further ECG's were done in hospital and it was found that I had occasional missed heart beats but afer a three month period and having the holster 24 hour monitor my cardiologist said I had bigaminy, which is an irregular but regular heart beat, which I most probably had always had and he showed no concern, and said "see you in a year".

So to reiterate and to set your mind at rest the ECG will show everything up, though irregular heart beats don't always show up on a single reading, but mine did, but a 24 hour monitor would.