EKG testing is completed to record the electrical activity of the heart through small electrode patches that our lab technicians attach to your chest, legs, and arms. Your doctor will suggest that you get an EKG to check for any signs of heart disease.

EKGs, also known as electrograms, are a fast, safe, and painless procedure that can:

• Check the heart’s rhythm
• Overview of your blood flow to your heart muscle
• Able to diagnose a heart attack
• Check on anything that may be deemed abnormal
• Detect any significant electrolyte abnormalities including low or high calcium and high potassium levels

EKG tests provide records of the electrical signals from your heart. This test is quite common and painless but is often recommended by your doctor to review and detect any heart issues as well as to monitor the health of your heart.

EKGs are a non-invasive exam that diagnoses any common heart issues that are often seen in individuals of differing ages. It can also be used to detect:

• Impassable or narrowed arteries within your heart (also known as coronary artery disease)
• Irregular heart rhythms
• Signs of a previous heart attack
• Review of how well heart disease treatments are doing like a pacemaker

Your doctor will often recommend an EKG exam if you are showing any of the following signs:

• Chest pain
• Confusion, dizziness, and/or light-headedness
• Heart palpitations
• Rapid pulse
• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue, weakness, or a decline in your ability to exercise

Have you been mentioning to friends and family that this is your year, and you are ready to make a big change and work on improving your overall health and wellness, while also looking to lose weight? While losing weight can help with many things and improve your health if you are deemed overweight or obese, losing weight fast with fad diets and weight loss pills can put you at an increased risk of a variety of health problems.

While these known “shortcuts” may seem like a good idea at first, they can be quite harmful to your health. A few of the health issues that can arise from unhealthy weight loss include:

• Unsettling the body’s equilibrium
While our bodies can adjust to any minor dietary changes and still run smoothly, rapid or drastic dietary changes can cause havoc on our system. Sudden weight loss can cause electrolyte imbalances within the body. A sudden decrease in food intake that is often due to following fad diets will lead to an unexpected decrease in the level of electrolytes, with a focus on magnesium and potassium.

• Heart issues
Rapid weight loss can cause damage to the blood vessels which will further lead to fluctuations in your blood pressure, heart rate, irregular heart rhythm, and even increase your risk of heart failure. Although exercising will aid in your weight loss, it can be dangerous for your heart health if you push it too far.

• Gallstones
Rapid weight loss will also cause your cholesterol within the liver to seep into the bile which will lead to the formation of gallstones. It is best to lose weight slowly by following proper weight-loss plans and exercise routines. If you completely avoid any fad diets or severe fasting regimes, you will see a higher success rate of maintaining your weight loss and notice more benefits from a successful and healthy journey with weight loss doctors.

EKGs show how healthy your heart is, or how unhealthy it is. It’s the difference between showing how close someone is to having a heart attack and potentially passing away, or making simple changes that will greatly affect their health.

If you’re considering an EKG, trust the skilled staff at PrimeHealth Urgent Care for quick and reliable EKG services. For more information, contact us or book an appointment online. We are conveniently located at 5660 Fishhawk Crossing Blvd, Lithia, FL 33547. We serve patients from Lithia FL, Balm FL, Keysville FL, Hopewell FL, and surrounding areas.