What does EKG tell about your heart?

An EKG, also known as an ECG (Electrocardiogram), is a non-invasive test that records the electrical activity of the heart. It can provide valuable information about the heart's function and health. Here's what an EKG can tell about your heart: 1. Heart Rate: It can measure how fast your heart is beating. 2. Rhythm: It can detect any irregularities in the heartbeat rhythm, such as arrhythmias. 3. Heart Attack: An EKG can identify if a person is having a heart attack by showing changes in the electrical activity that indicate damage to the heart muscle. 4. Past Heart Attacks: It can reveal signs of previous heart attacks by identifying areas of the heart that have been damaged. 5. Enlarged Heart (Cardiomegaly): As you mentioned, it can show if the heart has become enlarged, which could be due to conditions like high blood pressure. 6. Heart Disease: It can help diagnose conditions such as coronary artery disease by detecting changes in the electrical signals. 7. Inflammation: Certain patterns on an EKG can suggest inflammation of the heart muscle, known as myocarditis. 8. Electrolyte Imbalances: It can indicate whether there are imbalances in the electrolytes, which are crucial for the heart's electrical activity. An EKG is a critical tool in cardiology because it can provide a snapshot of what the heart is doing at the moment the test is taken, as well as detect patterns that may develop over time.

An EKG can help physicians diagnose a real-time emergency, such as a heart attack in progress, but it can also help detect patterns that emerge over time. For example, if you have high blood pressure, the EKG may show that your heart has become enlarged due to the extra work of pumping blood under higher pressure.