EKG & Heart Health Screening · Lake Worth Area
EKG & Heart Health Screening Serving Lake Worth
Lake Worth, officially the City of Lake Worth Beach since 2021, is a short trip from our West Palm Beach office, where an EKG can be done in the same visit as your blood work. Dr. Shahnaz Akhter practices internal medicine there, and the office keeps lab draws on site.
Do you actually need an EKG?
Not everyone who worries about their heart needs a tracing, and a good provider will tell you so. An EKG answers a narrow question about electrical rhythm and timing. If your concern is cholesterol, blood pressure, or a family history, the first steps may be a conversation and labs, and the EKG joins in when your history or exam gives a reason. The visit is where that call gets made, which is why there is nothing to arrange beforehand and no referral to chase first.
What to bring so the tracing means something
- A list of every medication and supplement, with doses if you know them
- Copies of any earlier EKG, even a phone photo of the printout, so today's can be compared with it
- Notes on when symptoms happen: after meals, climbing stairs, lying down at night
- Your insurance card and photo ID
- A loose top, or one that opens in front
Pairing the tracing with blood work on site
The West Palm Beach office has in-house lab services, so a visit that calls for both an EKG and blood tests does not have to be split across two stops. Your provider chooses the labs that fit your symptoms and history, and everything lands in the same chart. Read together, a tracing and a set of lab results can tell a fuller story than either one alone, since a rhythm finding sitting next to a thyroid or electrolyte result may point somewhere the tracing by itself would not.
Getting there from Lake Worth
The West Palm Beach office is at 3472 Forest Hill Blvd, Suite 3B. The office is at 3472 Forest Hill Blvd, Suite 3B, West Palm Beach, open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and walk-ins are welcome if a symptom cannot wait. Dr. Akhter speaks English, Bengali, Hindi, and Urdu, and when you call (561) 473-9044 you can mention which language you prefer.
Palpitations are common and usually not dangerous
Pounding, racing, or skipped beats in the chest, throat, or neck are what MedlinePlus calls palpitations, and it says they are not serious most of the time. Stress, anxiety, caffeine, nicotine, fever, and decongestants containing pseudoephedrine or phenylephrine are all on its list of everyday causes. Some palpitations do come from an abnormal heart rhythm, which is the case an EKG is good at catching, so a first episode is worth mentioning even when it passed on its own.
A symptom diary worth keeping before the visit
A tracing records a few minutes of rhythm, and your symptoms may not happen during those minutes. Notes you take at home fill the gap. MedlinePlus lists the questions a provider is likely to ask, so write the answers down the day it happens:
- Did the beats feel skipped, stopped, racing, pounding, or fluttering?
- Was the rhythm regular or irregular, and did it start and end suddenly?
- What were you doing: resting, lying down, changing position, or upset?
- Had you had caffeine, alcohol, a decongestant, or nicotine in the hours before?
- Did anything else come with it, such as dizziness or shortness of breath?
Which symptoms mean call now, and which mean call the office
MedlinePlus advises calling 911 for palpitations with loss of alertness, chest pain, shortness of breath, unusual sweating, or dizziness. It advises contacting a provider right away if you often feel extra beats, if your resting pulse stays above 100 for no clear reason, or if you already have heart disease or risk factors such as high cholesterol, diabetes, or high blood pressure. Anything outside those two lists is a good reason to book a visit and bring the diary.
Where an EKG fits among your other visits
Patients who see us for internal medicine in Lake Worth often have an EKG added to a follow-up instead of booking a separate trip. If you are managing blood pressure or diabetes, mention palpitations or breathlessness at your next visit so your provider can decide whether a tracing belongs in it.
What can change a tracing on the day
Some medicines slow or speed the heart, and caffeine, nicotine, and energy drinks can change your heart rate on the day of the test. None of that stops you from having an EKG. It simply helps your provider read the tracing correctly, so mention what you took and what you had to drink that morning, including anything you do not think of as a drug.
Do you have an office in Lake Worth?
No. Our nearest office is in West Palm Beach at 3472 Forest Hill Blvd, Suite 3B. It is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and this page describes care that happens at that address, not in Lake Worth itself.
Can I walk in for an EKG?
Walk-ins are welcome at the West Palm Beach office during office hours, and same-day appointments are kept open. Calling (561) 473-9044 first helps staff plan, particularly if you also want blood work drawn, but it is not required. Bring your medicine list and any earlier tracing you have, even as a photo.
How long does the visit take?
The recording itself takes a few minutes and does not hurt. The full visit runs longer because your provider also talks through your symptoms, asks about your medicines and caffeine intake, and reviews the tracing with you, so plan on a normal office-visit length rather than a quick drop-in test.
What if my EKG looks abnormal?
Your provider explains the finding in plain language and decides what comes next, which could be a repeat tracing, more testing, or a cardiology referral. An unusual tracing is not a diagnosis by itself, and it is always read alongside your symptoms and history.
Do you accept Medicare and Medicaid?
Yes, along with several major commercial plans. Coverage for a particular test depends on your specific plan, so call (561) 473-9044 and our staff will check it before you come in. That way you know what to expect at the front desk instead of finding out afterward.
Is chest pain an emergency?
It can be. Pressure in the chest, pain moving into the arm or jaw, cold sweats, or sudden trouble breathing means calling 911, not booking a visit. Planned EKG appointments are for questions that can safely wait a day or two.
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West Palm Beach office
3472 Forest Hill Blvd, Suite 3B
West Palm Beach, FL 33406
Mon–Fri, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
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