Electrocardiogram (EKG)

The electrocardiogram (EKG) at Clínica Hispana Nueva Salud Hammerly records your heart's electrical activity through small patches stuck to your skin. We perform it in Spring Branch, Houston, for adults with palpitations or high blood pressure, for people who need it before surgery and for workers whose medical exam requires one.

What does the EKG show about your heart?

The tracing shows how your heart beats: whether the rhythm is regular, whether it's too fast or too slow and whether the electrical signal travels through the muscle the way it should. It can also hint that part of the heart is working under strain, which matters for people with long-standing high blood pressure or diabetes. It doesn't measure cholesterol or see inside the arteries, so it's often paired with blood tests.

How do you get ready for a clean tracing?

• Wear a two-piece outfit so only your chest needs to be uncovered.
• Skip lotion, oil or powder on your chest, arms and legs that day.
• Take off necklaces and watches before lying on the exam table.
• Tell us if you have a pacemaker or take heart or blood-pressure medicine.
• Avoid coffee and cigarettes right before, since they can speed up your pulse.

What happens during the test?

You lie on your back while our staff places sticky patches on your chest, wrists and ankles, wired to the machine. All you do is stay still, breathe normally and not talk while it records. No electricity goes into your body and you don't feel a thing. At the end the patches come off, sometimes tugging a little on body hair.

Who reviews it, and what's next?

The clinic's medical team reads the tracing along with your blood pressure, symptoms and history. If everything looks fine, it stays in your chart for comparison later on. Should the tracing raise a question, we help arrange a referral to a heart specialist. When you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol, the result becomes part of your chronic conditions follow-up.

If you have severe chest pain, shortness of breath or fainting right now, don't drive yourself: call 911. For a routine EKG, we'll see you on Hammerly Blvd.