Stress tests help determine how your heart functions when working hard. You may walk on a treadmill or stationary bike during the test. Stress testing can determine how well your heart pumps blood and whether your heart is receiving enough blood supply. It can also detect whether you produce symptoms like chest discomfort and shortness of breath while doing physical activity. Your doctor may recommend stress testing Deerfield Beach to diagnose congenital heart diseases, congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, heart valve disease, and cardiomyopathy. There are various types of stress tests, which include:
Exercise stress test
The exercise stress test is the most common and basic heart stress test. It involves walking on a treadmill or riding a stationary bicycle. Your exercise physiologist tailors the speed and elevation of the treadmill based on your walking ability and overall fitness. If you cannot exercise, your doctor will give you medications that will make your heart pump harder and faster or dilate the artery supplying blood to your heart. After the exercise, your doctor uses an electrocardiogram to capture your heart’s electrical activity. Exercise stress tests check for signs of coronary artery disease.
Exercise stress echocardiogram
An exercise stress echocardiogram is similar to the basic stress test, but it gives more details. Your doctor performs an echocardiogram before and at the peak of exercise. The echocardiogram test uses sound waves to assess blood flow through your heart, pumping chambers of your heart muscles, and valve functions. Your doctor may recommend a stress echocardiogram if the outcomes of your basic stress test are unclear. This study enables your doctor to observe blood flow through your heart’s chambers and the effects of exercise.
Nuclear stress test
Nuclear stress test uses safe amounts of a radioactive substance and a cardiac imaging scan to check your heart function. Your healthcare provider takes images of your heart before and after you exercise. Your cardiologist will then compare the blood flow amount to your heart muscle before and after rest. A decrease in blood flow signal often indicates a blockage in one or multiple heart arteries. The nuclear cardiac stress test can help your doctor determine the severity of the blockage of your coronary disease and help you avoid more invasive heart tests like cardiac catheterization. The test can also help your doctor assess whether previous treatments like stents or bypass surgery are working and show whether your heart is healthy for non-cardiac surgery or exercise.
Cardiac rehabilitation stress test
Cardiac rehabilitation is a medically supervised exercise program that doctors use to help patients with heart disease become more physically active. The rehabilitation may include stress testing, which involves:
Entrance stress test: It helps the rehabilitation team create an exercise good for your capabilities.
Exit stress test: It enables the rehabilitation team to measure your progress and develop a long-term exercise program after you complete rehabilitation.
Stress tests help determine how your heart functions when working hard. There are various stress tests, including exercise stress cardiogram, exercise, nuclear, and cardiac rehabilitation stress tests. Schedule an appointment at Life Imaging Fla for stress testing to determine how your heart functions.
