experiencing warning signs of a heart attack or angina External Link such as:.feeling of your heart racing, fluttering, thumping or pounding in your chest (palpitations).experiencing symptoms of an abnormal heart rhythm such as:.heart inflammation ( pericarditis or myocarditis)Ī doctor may recommend an ECG for a person:.abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmia) – rapid, slow or irregular heart beats.conditions involving the heart’s electrical system.A doctor will examine the trace and look for specific features of different heart conditions. The leads attach to the ECG machine (electrocardiograph) which records the electrical activity of the heart muscle and displays this as a trace on a screen or on paper.Īny abnormality in the heart rhythm or rate, or damage to the heart muscle, can change the electrical activity of the heart. Small sticky dots (electrodes) and wire leads are placed on your chest, arms and legs. An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a test that can help diagnose certain heart conditions by measuring the electrical activity of the heart.
