MedNorth Urgent Care is here for you and your family seven days a week to provide the urgent care you and your loved ones need and deserve. Among our most important diagnostic tools is the ECG test, which checks the electrical activity of the heart. We don’t need to tell you that heart health is important, and early detection of any potential issue can yield a much better outcome.
Protect your health and gain peace of mind by contacting us to schedule an ECG with Dr. Shane Hill or Dr. Scott Rundle in Kalispell, MT.
What is an ECG test?
An electrocardiogram is also known as an ECG or an EKG. It does what its name suggests, recording the electrical activity in one of the body’s most vital organs, the heart. The heart is a muscular pump, made of a special type of muscle that differs from that in, say, your biceps or in other body regions. The cardiac muscle has a vast network of capillaries that provide an improved oxygen supply since the heart muscle is continually engaged in tough work and has an increased need for oxidation.
Therefore it’s obvious why an ECG can be such a vital, life-saving tool that can help you achieve longer-lasting health and happiness. Plus, it’s simple and considered painless. All it requires is placing numerous electrical sensors across the chest and limbs. These sensors monitor the heart’s electrical activities and show the results as easy-to-read waves, allowing our expert team to quickly check for complications.
When should I have an EKG?
We welcome all patients at MedNorth Urgent Care, and many men and women may be good candidates to undergo an EKG. Ideal candidates for an ECG are individuals with chronic conditions, including those who have hypertension (high blood pressure), those with high cholesterol, diabetes, and especially patients with a family history of heart conditions.
Coronary artery disease is also a serious threat, which causes narrowing or blockages in the arteries of the heart, potentially leading to chest pain and even heart attack. Other conditions that may yield negative consequences are called arrhythmias, and they encompass irregular heart rhythms.
An ECG should also be performed on individuals with various symptoms that could indicate cardiac troubles. These symptoms include chest pain, rapid pulse, heart palpitations, lightheadedness, confusion, dizziness, shortness of breath, fatigue, or a decline in one’s physical capabilities.
Additionally, patients with lifestyle risk factors, including smoking, can help protect their outcomes by scheduling an ECG. ECGs are also used to evaluate the performance of another essential medical technology, a pacemaker. Or to assess the efficacy of other cardiac treatment methods.
Check your heart health with an ECG test
Whether it’s diagnostic or preventive care, or evaluating a patient’s cardiac treatments, an ECG test can provide a life-saving tool. And those with various chronic conditions, risk factors, or the symptoms listed above can help guard their heart health and overall outcome by setting up an appointment with Dr. Shane Hill or Dr. Scott Rundle. So, contact us today at MedNorth Urgent Care in Kalispell, MT.