Time For The New Sports Season To Begin At School? What You Need To Know About Your Pre-Season ECG

Posted on: 30 November 2017

If you're going to be playing high school sports this year, chances are good that your school will require a full physical before you're allowed to suit up for practice. Part of that physical will probably include an ECG, which stands for electrocardiogram. It might sound like an intense test, but it's actually a simple procedure. You'll be required to lay down on an exam table, and electrodes will be attached to various areas of your body using adhesive patches. Once the results are in, your school will be notified of the results. Here you go in for your ECG, here are four things you'll need to know.

You Need to be Honest on the Pre-Participation Questionnaire

Prior to your ECG, you'll be given a pre-participation questionnaire to fill out. You may think that it's just a formality, and not something that you need to worry about. However, that form is the key to your heart health while you're participating in sports. Because of that, it's vital that you be completely honest while you're filling the questionnaire out. For instance, if you experience shortness of breath during exercise, or you've gotten light-headed or dizzy during physical activity, you need to explain that on your questionnaire. That way, the doctor will be able to look for potential risk factors during your ECG.

Your Hearts Electrical Activity will be Tested

You might not realize this, but your heart is like an electrical device inside your body. Each time your heart beats, there's an electrical connection that fires to other areas of the heart. If your heart isn't firing properly, you'll notice it during physical activity. It's similar to when an engine misfires. Your doctor will be looking to make sure that your heart functions the way that it should while you're in a state of rest.

Your Results May be Very Different From Your Teammates

When you go in for your ECG, you may be interested in knowing how your heart stacks up to the rest of your teammates. It's important for you to know that your test results may end up being very different from the results of your teammates. That's absolutely normal. You want your results to be different since everyone is different, including their hearts. The way your heart fires will depend on your age, your ethnicity, and even your body type. If your results are different than your teammates, it's okay.

You May be Referred to a Cardiologist

After your ECG, you may be referred to a cardiologist. That doesn't necessarily mean that there's something wrong with your heart. It means that the doctor saw something that made them want to get a closer look. Go ahead and follow through with all the additional testing. It's better to find out about your heart health before you become active in sports.

For more information, visit websites like qrs-biomedical.com.

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