During this test the condition of the heart is evaluated based on its electric activity. The ECG device collects the electric impulses from the electrodes put on the chest, arms and legs.
The heart is a multi-chambered motor consisting of special muscular tissues and rectifying valves that ensure the circulation of blood in your body. The contraction of the heart muscles is triggered by an electric stimulus, which normally originates from specialized cells.
The presence of certain heart diseases can be deducted from the electric signals conducted from the surface of the body. This examination is a particularly important screening method for arrhythmia, but a number of other heart diseases (heart attack, pericarditis, etc.) cause a symptomatic discrepancy on ECG. It is essential to note that in most cases studying the ECG signal only raises the suspicion of an illness which has to be proved or refuted by further tests.