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Ten small sticky patches called electrodes are put on your arms, legs and chest. These are connected by wires to an ECG machine which picks up the electrical signals that make your heart beat. This electrical activity is recorded and printed onto paper. Below is what a normal ECG would like.
The whole test takes a few minutes and is completely painless. You will need to lie still as moving can affect the results.
An ECG can help detect problems with your heart rate or heart rhythm. It can help doctors tell if you’re having a heart attack or if you’ve had a heart attack in the past.
An ECG is usually one of the first heart tests you'll have. It does have some limitations, so often you will have one or more other tests too. An abnormal ECG reading does not always mean there's something wrong with your heart.