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In order for the heart to effectively pump blood through our bodies, an electrical system of impulses must be working properly.

An EKG machine can measure the efficiency of the heart’s electrical impulses, but some wonder how the heart’s electrical conduction system works in the first place. Here is a brief overview:

Here is what is required for the heart to pump effectively:

* Substantial delay between atrial and ventricular activity: This “delay” between impulses allows the atria (or upper chambers) to completely empty their contents into the lower chambers, or ventricles. If the two chambers were to contract simultaneously, this would result in inefficient filling or back flow. In order to maintain this delay, the atria are electrically isolated from the ventricles.
* Coordinated ventricular cell contraction must be present. In order to maximize systolic pressure, forcing the blood through the body, all ventricular cells must work in concert. This contraction, or depolarization process, squeezes blood in one direction, toward the exit of the heart, because the ventricular cells contact simultaneously.
* After contracting, the heart muscle needs to relax in order to fill up again. Any sustained contraction of the heart muscle, without the necessary relaxation, would be fatal.

An EKG machine can be used to measure the effectiveness of the heart’s electrical system, and provide an early diagnosis of any problems.

Because the cardiac muscle has some unique properties from other muscles in the body, it is important to monitor the rhythms and impulses of the heart on a regular basis, particularly if the patient suffers from hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, habitual smoking, or has a family history of heart disease. Maintaining the health of the heart’s electrical rhythms through regular EKG machine testing can be the best preventive medicine for high risk or elderly patients.

One of the most innovative new technologies of the 20th century was the electrocardiogram (EKG machine). Designed for the diagnosis of heart disease, the EKG machine was considered a major advancement in modern medicine. Early EKG machines were much bulkier than today’s lightweight and portable machines, but they work on the same principle – the measurement of the electrical impulses of the heart.

In its early days, the patients were required to place their hands and feet in a sodium chloride bath, since water is a conductive method to detect the electric impulses of the heart. A more accurate method was introduced later with the use of electrical wires, which were later replaced by the electrodes we use today. These modern methods of EKG testing make it much easier to perform, while being safer, more comfortable and accurate.

How is EKG testing done?

A typical EKG test requires a patient to lay on their doctor’s examination table, but some doctors use EKG machines to perform stress tests as well. Here, electrodes are attached to a patient and then they are asked to perform moderate exercise, such as walking on a treadmill or riding a stationary bike. The results of a stress test will give the doctor a better understanding of how a patient’s heart patterns change during physical activity.

How are EKG tests used to diagnose heart problems?

An EKG machine works by picking up electrical impulses emitted from various points of the body, wherever an electrode is placed. Typically, doctors use a 10-12 electrode test that measures the heart’s impulses as they are graphically output into readable waves. These continuous waves are then amplified and displayed on a monitor or printed out for later interpretation by a physician.

EKG machines can detect an irregular heartbeat, arrhythmia or angina and diagnose the symptoms of heart disease. It can also detect whether the heart’s chamber walls are too thick, determine whether prescribed heart medicines are effective, and check on any implanted heart devices, such as pacemakers.