Modern ECG machines will present you with a computerized interpretation of the readout ('the CI'). This computer diagnosis is frequently wrong (up to 20% of cases)!
Sometimes, an abnormal EKG reading is actually just a normal variation in a person's heart rhythm. In other cases, it may be due to an underlying condition of the heart or a reaction to a medication the person is taking. An EKG reading is a helpful diagnostic tool.
It turns out that EKGs frequently identify problems that don't really exist, results known as “false positives.” Clinical studies have shown that EKGs actually indicate far more false positives than “false negatives” (where the test fails to identify a real problem).
A review of 78 articles found that physician accuracy of ECG interpretation is just over half at 54% and improves slightly to 67% with some additional training. Accuracy did improve with more advanced training, with medical students having lower accuracy at 55.8% and cardiologists having the greatest accuracy at 74.9%.
The most frequent errors in computer ECG interpretation are related to arrhythmias, conduction disorders, and electronic pacemakers.
Modern ECG machines will present you with a computerized interpretation of the readout ('the CI'). This computer diagnosis is frequently wrong (up to 20% of cases)!
Abnormal ECG Findings Caused by Anxiety
In patients without a known clinical history of anxiety or other mental health concerns, short-term nervousness can also disrupt ECG readings. In one case study from the Egyptian Journal of Critical Care Medicine, such apprehension led to reported quadrigeminy in all ECG leads.
However, it does not show whether you have asymptomatic blockages in your heart arteries or predict your risk of a future heart attack.
A coronary angiogram is a type of X-ray used to examine the coronary arteries supplying blood to your heart muscle. It's considered to be the best method of diagnosing coronary artery disease - conditions that affect the arteries surrounding the heart.
With a panic attack, the chest pain is usually localized to the middle of the chest and it is a stabbing pain. Pain in the chest from a heart attack is more of a squeezing pain and it can radiate from the chest to the arm, jaw or shoulder blades. The Duration of the Pain.
A silent heart attack is a heart attack that has few, if any, symptoms or has symptoms not recognized as a heart attack. A silent heart attack might not cause chest pain or shortness of breath, which are typically associated with a heart attack.
Heart Palpitations and Anxiety. Heart palpitations due to anxiety feel like your heart is racing, fluttering, pounding or skipping a beat. Your heartbeat can increase in response to specific stressful situations. You may also have palpitations due to an anxiety disorder (excessive or persistent worry).
Cardiophobia is defined as an anxiety disorder of persons characterized by repeated complaints of chest pain, heart palpitations, and other somatic sensations accompanied by fears of having a heart attack and of dying.
Heart palpitations (pal-pih-TAY-shuns) are feelings of having a fast-beating, fluttering or pounding heart. Stress, exercise, medication or, rarely, a medical condition can trigger them. Although heart palpitations can be worrisome, they're usually harmless.
An ECG Can Recognize the Signs of Blocked Arteries. But for further accurecy a CT coronary angiogram can reveal plaque buildup and identify blockages in the arteries, which can lead to a heart attack.
Valvular defects cannot be detected using an ECG. Chest X-ray can be used to determine such defects. Therefore, an ECG can detect arrhythmia, myocardial infarction and also heart block but not valvular defects.
The normal EKGs and ECHO that you have had are good indicators that your heart is healthy. The chest pains do have to be addressed because it can be an early sign of narrowing in the arteries of your heart. You should make sure you see your doctor regarding the chest pains.
Even levels of blood pressure that are generally considered “normal” may be high enough to foster the development of heart disease, new research shows.