What Can an Abnormal EKG Indicate?
Electrocardiograms, or EKGs, are used to test a variety of heart-related functions. EKGs will show doctors if your heart has been damaged in any way, the speed of your heart beat and whether your heart is beating normally or abnormally. Abnormal EKG results may indicate a serious heart condition.
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Your Heart's Electrical Signal
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Each time your heart beats, there is an electrical signal which begins that the top of your heart and travels to the bottom of your heart. Along the way, it causes your heart to contract. This electrical signal sets the rhythm of your heartbeat.
What Is Normal
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According to Medline Plus, normal heart rhythms are even and consistent in nature. A normal heart rate ranges between 50 and 100 BPM (beats per minute).
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Possible Cardiac Conditions
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Abnormal EKG results may indicate that your heart muscle is not getting an adequate supply of blood. It may also indicate an irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia), heart failure, an enlarged cardiac muscle, heart valve disease, birth defects or pericarditis (inflammation of the area surrounding your heart).
Possible Heart Rhythm Problems
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An EKG also tests to see that your heartbeat begins in right area of the heart. Abnormal results may also reveal problems such as long QT syndrome, which is characterized by sudden and uncontrollable arrhythmia.
Indicating a Heart Attack
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Abnormal EKG results may also signal a current or imminent heart attack or provide evidence of a heart attack that has already occurred.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Thomas
