Several methods are used to test for AFib, including electrocardiograms, heart monitors, and echocardiograms. These tests help your doctor plan your treatment.
You may be tested for AFib through an echocardiogram, which uses sound waves to generate a moving picture of the heart, or an echocardiogram to help your doctor study your heart rate and rhythm. An Electrocardiogram (ECG) records the electrical activity of your heart, while heart monitors collect data on heart activity for longer periods than ECGs. Other tests for AFib, like echocardiograms, use sound waves to generate a moving picture of the heart.
What to Expect During your Visit
- Small electrode pads are placed on the chest, shoulders, and arms during an electrocardiogram. The electrodes record heartbeat patterns and portray them on a strip of paper.
- AFib testing may be conducted by wearing a heart monitor that records heartbeat patterns longer than ECGs. Heart monitors include either event monitors, worn for several weeks and recorded constantly or during episodes, or heart monitors, which can record for days and provide a constant recording of heart activity.
- You may undergo other AFib tests, including an echocardiogram, which uses sound waves to create a moving image of the heart, showing valves and chambers’ size, shape, and functionality. Other tests include transesophageal echocardiograms, which produce more detail than regular echos, blood tests, and nuclear imaging.
