What does EKG really show?

Question

So I went to my dr complaining of a dull feeling in my chest that comes and goes, As well as dizziness and just a weird overall feeling in my body. Along with some palpitations. She did an EKG in the office and said it was normal and said it’s probably coming from my anxiety. I feel maybe she should have sent me to a cardiologist for further testing because I don’t think EKG shows everything but she is the dr. What do you think ?

Answer

So an EKG is pretty effective in showing a whole lot of cardiac conditions from myocardial infarctions to atrial fibrillation to left or right bundle branch blocks. Anxiety can manifest itself in a way that can make you feel like you have a cardiac condition like chest pains, shortness of breath, dizziness, fainting, palpitations, etc. Even peptic ulcers can make you feel like you’re having heart issues. If you have a history of anxiety, I would say the same thing if your EKG results were normal. However, there can be instances where you may have a cardiac event but it stops, so an EKG won’t pick it up. In this case, a holter monitor may be ordered for you to wear for a while to pickup any potential cardiac events. If you truly feel you have a cardiac condition, then I would discuss having a referral to see a cardiologist.

Answer

An EKG is just a “spot check” of your rhythm essentially. They can detect certain deadly myocardial infarctions (heart attacks) with ST segment elevations. But depending on lead placement, artifact, and interpretation, it can be highly subjective as well, with lots of room for error. They can’t tell you if your heart is pumping effectively or if your valves are working properly, either. And like I said, it’s a “spot check”— so if you’re experiencing intermittent arrhythmias, a quick EKG may miss it. If you’re having cardiac symptoms, a more thorough workup needs to be done, preferably by a cardiologist— an echo, maybe even a Holter monitor (sort of like an EKG machine that’s worn for several days or weeks), bloodwork, a CTA, and/or a cardiac MRI to check for congenital anomalies or bridges.

What does EKG really show?

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