Quickly Learn How a Cardiac Stress Test Work

A cardiac stress test evaluates the amount of blood flow our heart receives during a physical exercise. It also reveals the amount of oxygen and blood that enter the heart. Despite being called a stress test, this has no connection or relevance to emotional or mental stress. This medical stress test just measures the stress on the heart during a work out or physical exercise.

What happens during a cardiac stress test?

During the cardiac stress test the patient walks and then runs on the treadmill connected to an electro cardio gram machine with the standard ten connections around the body. Alternately the patient can also be attached to an intravenous drip instead of a treadmill, with medications to stimulate exercise.

While the speed of the treadmill is changed every three minutes, the intravenous drip adds more drugs or medications about the same time. The patient and his responses and reactions are monitored by technicians and doctors during the cardiac stress test. No sooner does the patient feel tired than the cardiac stress test is stopped and the results examined and diagnosed and reviewed by cardiologists.

Conditions diagnosed by the cardiac stress test

Though this cardiac stress test cardiologists can detect if the patient has some form of heart disease or abnormalities in the heart. This is the first test to diagnose any heart problem. Smokers, those with a family history of heart disease, those with high cholesterol levels and diabetics exhibit symptoms creating suspicion in the doctors.

A few minor side effects, after the cardiac stress test, among those not used to physical exercise, are nausea dizziness, shortness of breath, palpitation of the heart and other symptoms related to circulatory system.

A very rare and farfetched risk during a cardiac stress test is a heart attack or a stroke which can be safely handled by expert cardiologists on the scene. Cardiac stress test is recommended by doctors for patients suspected to have underlying conditions involving the heart. An annual cardiac stress test is an ideal recommendation for heart patients and those with some abnormalities.