The heart is essentially a complex bundle of muscles and nerves. The nerves allow electricity to spread through the heart in a specific way so that the different areas of the heart beat in the right order to allow blood to be pumped around the body.

Electrocardiograms, or better known as ECG’s, are one of the most common tests used in hospitals. ECG’s give us a window into the heart & tell us how the electrics are working. Problems with electricity flow in the heart can be due to a wiring problem because the heart is damaged (for example due to a heart attack), stretched (sometimes due to high blood pressure), genetic problems or just wear and tear with old age.

ECG’s involve placing small stickers – called electrodes which are placed on the skin. A ‘proper’ full ECG normally requires 10 stickers, 6 on the chest, one each on the arm or shoulder & one on each leg. A more limited tracing can be obtained from using only 3 stickers These stickers are then connected to an ECG machine or heart monitor to allow the heart tracing to be displayed on a screen an/or printed off on to a sheet of paper.

Reasons why an ECG test is performed

There are various reasons why an ECG may be required, there main functions are: –

• Monitor the electrical activity of the heart and see how this may relate to common symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath and palpitations.
• To look for evidence of a very fast or very slow heartbeat..
• Certain medicines can make the affect the heart, making it beat too fast, too slow or irregularly. An ECG can be one of the tests used to monitor this.

A private ECG is a relatively simple procedure and usually does not leave behind any effects on the patient. In some cases, patients can develop slight rashes or irritation where the electrode (sticker) is attached to the skin, this is due to a minor allergic reaction and will normally clear up within 24 hours..

Some modern ECG machines can interpret the ECG for you but it should always be reviewed by a health professional.