Stress Test Checks The Performance Of The Heart When It Has To Do Some Work
Medical professionals need to use the stress test in order to determine what happens to the heart when a person performs exercises and it helps to give a sense of the person's general wellbeing. Use is made of a treadmill or even an exercise bike which is used to get the heart do some work and with the help of an electrocardiogram as well as blood pressure cuff; the heart function can be measured. In fact, the stress test is also known by various other names including exercise electrocardiography and stress ECG as well as exercise ECG.
Reach Targeted Heart Rate
When taking the stress test, the person being tested will need to either walk or pedal away on the exercise machine while at the same time an electrocardiogram is used to measure how much electrical activity is taking place in the heart, and along with these readings, the blood pressure is also read. Such a stress test has to be performed till such time as the person's heart rate reaches a targeted reading, though if the person experiences chest pains or the blood pressure rises substantially, the test may have to be terminated prematurely.
However, before taking the stress test, you need to ensure that you have not eaten or smoked or drunk beverages that have alcohol or caffeine content for at least three hours prior to the test, and following the stress test, you are monitored for another ten to fifteen minutes till the heart rate returns to normal.
Remember also that taking a stress test by itself may not be sufficient because there are many conditions that such a test may not be able to detect, and according to certain studies on the subject, it was found that as many as fifty-six of those who took such tests were found to have hardened arteries though the test actually passed them with regard to the condition of their hearts.
However, taking a stress test is recommended because it does help a doctor in making a diagnosis and it also helps in prognosis as well as is useful in prevention of further heart related health problems. Thus, such tests help in diagnosing when coronary arterial diseases are present and it helps show doctors how effective they have been in treating such conditions. And, more importantly, the stress test can also help the doctor predict whether any dangerous or life-threatening conditions including heart attacks are likely to affect the person.
Also, with the help of a stress test, you can establish the appropriate type of exercise to take and also the optimum level of such exercises that you can safely perform.
