Different Types Of EKG Tests

The normal kind of EKG test is done while in a resting position. This is when you lay down on a bed, the EKG technicians attach the electrodes to your arms, legs, and chest area and you lay down for a short while the test is done. This is for about one minute. In the event when this type of EKG does not provide sufficient or significant results, the doctor or cardiologist will request one of the following three types of EKG machine tests:

In many instances serious heart diseases or heart malfunctioning can not be diagnosed when you are in a resting phase. This means, only when there is some strain on your heart like when you perform some kind of activity and your heart needs to work harder, these problems shows up and can be diagnosed effectively and accurately. With a normal stress test you will be walking on a treadmill or pedal on a fitness bicycle.

Now this is all very well if you are able to walk and perform some kind of action, but what happens to patients that cannot walk for instance? With the advancement of medical technology, these patients are injected with a chemical that causes the heart to beat faster and cause your blood to flow faster, resembling the affect normal exercise will have on your heart. In these events, an echocardiography or a nuclear heart scan is done to trace the functioning of the heart.

The process of nuclear heart scanning requires a radioactive tracer to be injected into the bloodstream while a special radiology camera follow the tracer as it travels through your heart and different arteries.

When an echocardiography is used, it makes use of sound waves to indicate the flow of your blood through the heart chambers, functioning of the heart chamber valves and the amount of strength your heart muscle uses to perform these different actions.


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1 Comment

  1. Different Types Of EKG Tests | EKG Machine News…

    The normal kind of EKG test is done while in a resting position. This is when you lay down on a bed, the EKG technicians attach the electrodes to your arms, legs, and chest area and you lay down for a short while the test is done….

    Trackback by pligg.com — May 6, 2009 @ 3:25 am

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