My EKG says abnormal. Please help me understand what happened???

[jsanchez0618]

I went to doctors because I thought I had diabetes because i was experiencing numbness and tingling on my fingers. Well my blood test came back normal no diabetes, my cholesterol was normal level and BP was good, the Medical asst suggested lets just do a physical so she grabs this old EKG machine and has me lie on my back.

Well the machine was having a hard time reading due to the sticky's she kept having to undo them and replace them and after 3 tries of not being able to get the EKG to work, her other medical asst came in and tried and she got it to work and told me to lie still buy I was stressed and my back was hurting from lying down, well the reading took like only a few seconds and came back with this:

1.) Sinus Rhythm
2.) Left Anterior Fascicular Block
3.) ARTIFACT PRESENT
4.) ** abnormal ECG ***  

So the doctor tells me it could be benign or could not be but i have to see a cardiologist and the authorization to see him can take about 3 weeks!!! I told the Dr. I never had issues with my heart and no one in my family does either and my BP and cholesterol levels were good and no diabetes.

Well the doctor replies maybe you were born with a bad heart!! huh??? why did the reading not come out on my EKG last year then? or any other year in the multiple EKG's I have done over the 57 years of my life never a bad reading?

Can someone please help me with making sense of this? I am hoping the EKG was a False Reading, can anyone tell me if this is possible? i been freaked out all day i been crying and depressed and thinking I am going to die and I have 4 boys and a beautiful lady by my side, can someone please help me make sense of this. thank You

[MichelleP_3811]

Considering there were issues with them doing the ekg and properly adhering the electrodes I would not worry at this point.  It could be a false positive.  Numbness and tingling could be related to a pinched nerve in the neck or spine and may not be heart related.  I know waiting is hard but it's best to not jump to any conclusions at this point until you have seen the cardiologist.  Distract yourself as best you can because there isn't anything you can do to rush the diagnosis.  The good news is, you are taking care of your health and not waiting until things go too far.  Sometimes when we are proactive about our health we encounter more testing than expected but it also means we are catching things while they are still manageable before it becomes too late.  Try to view it from that angle as opposed to this meaning you are dying.  If the doctors were seriously concerned they would have sent you to the hospital immediately. they would not make you wait three weeks.  So just try and trust you are fine and if there is anything going on, you will get on top of it.  Please keep us posted on your further tests.  Take care.  

[Sara_MHModerator]

Hello!  We are so glad you found help on the Hepatitis C forum and hope you can do so on this forum as well.  We are glad you are doing well and are cured of Hep C but sorry you have this issue of an abnormal EKG.  A lot of times what they mean by an artifact on an EKG is that there was some type of interference so they couldn't get accurate tracing. Different things can cause it like your moving, coughing, etc.  LAFB is often considered benign. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3979298/.  

I would try not to worry until you have to worry!  When is your doctors appointment set for?

[ayl291]

Artifact means an unclear reading.

[ayl291]

Wow you need to calm down or you may have a heartattack.

You don't have symptoms and the machine says artificat ... I doubt its anything ;)

[jsanchez0618]

Lol thanks for the laugh yes I’m going to give myself a heart attack, what does artifact? Mean? It’s going to be a long 3 weeks till I see cardiologist, why did the primary care physician make it sound so bad he should of noticed the artifact he told me I was probably born with the LAFB but why does it show up now ? I had hep c and I was part of this forum it brought me relief I thought I was dying from that but thank God for the good knowledgeable people of this forum who were able to guide me through and then the cure came and I am free of hep c...thank you for any words you can offer of knowledge to this situation.