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Heart Palpitations Forum >> Symptoms and other concerns >> Reliable tests
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Message started by daybyday on May 8^th, 2010, 10:14am

Title: Reliable tests
Post by daybyday on May 8^th, 2010, 10:14am

To RLR and everyone.
Just what does an ekg and stethoscope listening tell a dr. and how reliable is it to detect heart problems? I hear others talk about monitors and echos. Dr. listened to my heart, blood work and ekg and said I was fine. My heart rate was at 102bpm during the ekg and I even have a copy and internet learned to make laymen sense of the bumps and peaks. :)

Feeling scared and racing thoughts today. :'(

Title: Re: Reliable tests
Post by George88 on May 8^th, 2010, 11:16am

I think they can tell quite a bit about your heart through an ECG such as size and location of the heart and its chambers, of course heart rate and rhythm and electrical activity of your heart. I think things like MVP (mitral valve prolapse) and abnormal rhythms can be heard on a stethoscope.

I've had an echo done plus a 24 hour tape, but I didn't just get given them without a lot of GP visits. It took about a year of complaining to my GP about my skips, thumps and sinus tachycardia before he referred me to a cardiologist and then I was told I was fine anyway. RLR has said in the past that doctors don't do tests to go looking for problems that might be there, rather they do tests to confirm what they already think might be happening. Also, remember that the tools and tests used are designed specifically to detect abnormalaties and won't 'miss' or 'overlook' actual pathology if it exists.

By the way, the ECG I had done in the cardiologists office recorded my heart rate going 130 so don't worry about yours being 102, that's only just considered tachycardia.

Good luck.

Title: Re: Reliable tests
Post by daybyday on May 8^th, 2010, 1:54pm

George 88
Thanks for your reply so much.
Part of my brain knows if there was anything at all the dr. wouldn't have let me out of the office without further discussion. And the follow up visit to assess the blood profile results, he said no further heart tests needed. Not likely the insurance to pay for something without some degree of being warranted, because he said he wouldn't want to waste my money. I asked him about having some ventrical who knows what syndrome. He smiled and said no. This was last July.

Title: Re: Reliable tests
Post by emma09 on May 10^th, 2010, 12:22am

it took an emrgancy hospital trip to get me some tests ! lol ive 3 ecgs and each time i had one my heart was racing like mad! before then tho my doc just listened to my heart and took my hr and said i was fine and sent me on my way! 102 is fine trust me mines been higher just sitting!

Title: Re: Reliable tests
Post by daybyday on May 10^th, 2010, 6:28pm

Thank you Emma09
It is so nice to have comfort here from those who have been or are there and understand.