We know that it’s the healthcare providers who deliver care and compassion, but a critical implement of their toolbox is medical technology. Advanced tools like MRIs, mammography, and robotics-assisted surgery have brought medicine to a highly sophisticated place. Today your doctor can diagnose and treat you with much more ease and information than even 20 years ago.
Accomplished internal medicine specialist Dr. Gurprit Sekhon and her highly skilled Nu Wave Medical Center team employ a variety of state-of-the-art technological means to get to the bottom of diverse conditions and create highly customized treatment plans.
One of the tests Dr. Sekhon uses frequently to help patients with a variety of problems is the electrocardiogram (EKG). This is a quick and simple test that assesses your heart functioning, and it can be done right here in our office, which saves you time.
During an EKG, we adhere small sticky plastic patches to your skin (electrodes) in different areas of your body, like your chest, abdomen, arms, or legs. Wires are attached to the electrodes that lead to the EKG machine, which calculates your heart’s electrical activity. Once the EKG measures this activity, it interprets the data and we can print it out.
More specifically, Dr. Sekhon is able to see how strong your heart’s electrical impulses are and how much time elapses between them. Your heart actually contains cells called pacemaker cells which govern this activity.
The EKG offers you advantages because:
Fortunately, getting an EKG requires no complicated preparation and puts you at no risk.
Thoroughness is one of the hallmarks of Dr. Sekhon’s care, and there are several concerns she may have that would lead her to advise that a patient get an EKG. The test provides her with important information related to your heart health.
For example, the EKG helps Dr. Sekhon identify whether you have an irregular heartbeat or heart palpitations. An EKG is also a way to test how well a pacemaker is working if you have one.
If you complain of extreme fatigue or shortness of breath, these symptoms may also indicate heart problems and necessitate an EKG. Dr. Sekhon encourages all patients who experience any type of chest pain to get an EKG as well.
An EKG is also appropriate for patients who have leg swelling issues, which indicate congestive heart failure. All of these EKG results may cause Dr. Sekhon to refer you to a cardiologist so they can pinpoint your heart issue. The EKG is also used to give your doctor a baseline reading of your heart’s activity that can be compared to subsequent tests.
An EKG often isn’t a standalone test. Although it conveys very important health information, it reflects what happens with your heart when you’re being tested only, so Dr. Sekhon often uses the EKG as a component of a battery of tests if she’s trying to come to a definitive conclusion about your condition.
Dr. Sekhon can conclude much during a physical examination and by speaking with you, but the EKG allows her important access to the inner workings of your body, and of course the more information she has, the more customized and balanced her treatment plan for you can be.
Call the Nu Wave Medical Center office today at 850-666-4726 to schedule an appointment to discuss if an EKG is appropriate for you, or use our convenient online booking tool.
