By: Bertil Hjert
A stress test is one that is undertaken by your doctor in order to find out the way your heart handles work. Your body works very hard during the test. Hence, it needs more amount of oxygen in order to pump out more blood.
The test is necessary to show whether the blood supply is reduced in the arteries that are responsible to supply the same to the heart. The test also works towards letting the doctors know about the type and level of work out that's appropriate for a patient.
How the test is done:
• The person taking the test is hooked up to the monitor for the heart.
• He or she walks slowly on a treadmill. Thereafter, the speed is increased and the treadmill is tilted in order to produce an effect similar to going up in a small will.
• The person may also be asked to breathe in to a tube for a couple of minutes.
• One can easily stop the test any time one wants.
• Once the test is over, the person needs to sit or lie down in order to get blood pressure and heart checked.
Here, one is checked for blood pressure, heart rate breathing and the amount of tiredness felt. People in a healthy physical state are not at risk. However, medical experts should be present in case something wrong happens during the test.
An exercise stress test is also recommended to diagnose coronary artery disease and several other problems as mentioned below:
• Determine a risk free level of exercise
• Diagnose a heart-related cause of symptoms including shortness of breath, chest pain or light headedness.
• Predict risk of hazardous condition of heart such as heart attack.
• Check the effectiveness of procedures undertaken to improve coronary artery circulation in patients suffering from coronary artery disease.
After analyzing the results of the exercise stress test, the physician will be in a position to recommend more tests including cardiac catheterization or nuclear stress test.
Stress test is similar to a screening tool that scrutinizes the effect of a particular exercise on your heart. It provides you an idea of how healthy your heart is. The test can be done via using a treadmill or an exercise bike. This is done to make the heart of the person working. Thereafter an electro-cardiogram (ECG) and blood pressure cuff is utilized to measure heart function.
Sometimes, a stress test is also referred to as exercise ECG, stress ECG, exercise treadmill or electrocardiography.
The person is monitored for about 10-15 minutes after exercising or until the heart rate returns to normal.
One should take special care not to smoke, eat drink caffeinated drinks or alcohol for about three hours before taking the test.
You should wear loose clothing and comfortable shoes. Inform your doctor about any medication that you have taken within 24 hours before the test.
Stress test is very important to diagnose coronary artery disease, popularly referred to as CAD.
This test will also tell you about the kind of work outs that will be good and beneficial for your health.
