Memorial Village Emergency Room

Local ER Working to Save Young Lives with Free Back-to-School EKG's, Silent Heart Attack Warning Signs for Young Athletes

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the leading cause of death among young athletes. With this heart condition, there are often very mild or no symptoms until late childhood or teen-age years.” — Dr. Akash Bhagat, Medical Director of Memorial Village ER

HOUSTON, TEXAS, US, August 20, 2019 / EINPresswire.com / -- Memorial Village Emergency Room in Houston is offering free electrocardiograms (EKGs) with back-to-school sports physicals in an effort to help save young lives and raise awareness of silent indicators of heart attacks and heart conditions.Memorial Village ER is hoping the Free EKG, in addition to a low-cost sports physical ($25), will help save lives and raise awareness for parents that heart attacks can strike even young adults and children, and symptoms often go unnoticed.The free non-invasive medical test normally costs about $50 and takes roughly 10 minutes to perform. EKG’s can help detect heart conditions like hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), the condition that claimed the life of 18-year-old Houston student athlete Cody Stephens without warning, and inspired the new Cody’s Law in Texas. HCM, an inherited condition in which the heart’s walls are excessively thick, making it difficult for the heart to pump blood, is the leading cause of death among young athletes.“Often, there are very mild or no symptoms of this heart condition until late childhood or the teen-age years,” said Dr. Akash Bhagat, Medical Director of Memorial Village Emergency Room. “The symptoms are so mild or brief, like shortness of breath or chest pain during exercise, they are often dismissed as something else. The condition often goes undetected in normal tests, but an EKG can detect and help diagnose hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.”Dr. Bhagat says there is also an increased risk for sudden cardiac death with this condition, or a "near-miss" sudden cardiac death (a life-threatening abnormal rhythm that self-converts), which may appear to be a fainting spell. He said the free EKG’s can not only help detect dangerous heart conditions like this and save lives, they present the opportunity to educate parents on warning signs and symptoms to watch for in their kids, not only with the heart, but with athletic safety to help prevent sports injuries.Memorial Village ER, located at 14520 Memorial Drive Suite 4, in Houston, is offering the Free EKG-$25 sports physical now through the 2019/20 school year and no appointment is necessary. Parents and student-athletes can walk-in or check-in online at https://memorialvillageer.com For media inquiries please contact Sherrie Handrinos at SherrieHandrinos@gmail.com or call 734-341-6859.About Memorial Village Emergency RoomMemorial Village Emergency Room in Houston, Texas, was designed to provide compassionate, comprehensive, VIP emergency care. Unlike traditional Emergency Rooms, the facility is designed to streamline admissions and discharge processes, with no wait times, on-line check-in, and fast and accurate on-site lab results to allow time for Board-Certified Emergency Care physicians and nurses to spend the quality time that each patient needs and deserves.Under the Medical Direction of Akash Bhagat, D.O., Memorial Village offers trauma and injury, emergency cardiology, pediatric, and psychiatric emergency care with on-site lab and imaging services. The facility also provides a VIP environment with comfortable furniture, easily accessible charging stations, large flat screen TV’s, a coffee bar and refreshments to ensure the experience is comforting and inviting. For more information visit https://memorialvillageer.com