At RuheHealth, we offer Cardiac Stress Tests to assess how your heart works during physical activity. The stress test can help your doctor diagnose coronary artery disease, determine safe levels of exercise, and predict dangerous heart-related conditions.
Understanding Cardiac Stress Tests
A cardiac stress test, also known as an exercise stress test, helps doctors see how well the heart handles work. As your body works harder during the test, it requires more oxygen and makes the heart pump more blood. The test can show if the blood supply is reduced in the arteries that supply the heart.
Why It's Done
Cardiac stress tests are used to determine if there's adequate blood flow to your heart during increasing levels of activity, evaluate the effectiveness of your heart medications, identify abnormal heart rhythms, and help you develop a safe exercise program.
What to Expect
During a stress test, you'll exercise on a treadmill or stationary bike while your electrocardiogram, heart rate, and blood pressure are monitored. If you're unable to exercise, you may be given drugs that mimic the effect of exercise on your heart.
Frequently Asked Questions
A cardiac stress test is a procedure that measures how well your heart handles work. It can help your doctor diagnose various heart conditions.
You should avoid eating or drinking anything except water for four hours before the test. Avoid caffeine for 24 hours before. Certain heart medications may also need to be stopped with the advice of your doctor.
During a stress test, you'll exercise on a treadmill or stationary bike while your electrocardiogram, heart rate, and blood pressure are monitored.
The test can show if the blood supply is reduced in the arteries that supply the heart, evaluate the effectiveness of your heart medications, identify abnormal heart rhythms, and help you develop a safe exercise program.