Know The Health Of Your Heart With Cardiac Stress Test

By Andrew Wright


Physicians say that some heart problems can be easily diagnosed if your heart is beating faster or working hard. Stress testing, therefore, gives information of your heart and how it works when subjected to physical strain. When performing a cardiac stress test, you walk on a treadmill or you can pedal fixed bike. This causes your heart to work harder as well as beat faster. The heart tests are performed while you exercise.

In some cases, it might not be possible to carry out the exercises during heart tests due to some medical problems or arthritis. In such a situation, the doctor can give some drugs that would cause your heart to work hard just as it would when carrying out an exercise. This form of testing is known as pharmacological stress testing.

Mostly, to find out the severity of coronary heart disease or even to diagnose the problem, the doctors use the method of cardiac screening. Oxygen-rich blood is carried through the coronary arteries, in which a plaque may build leading to a coronary heart disease. The plaque is waxy like substance, which results narrowing the arteries leading to reduced blood flow to the muscles of your heart. Besides, plaque can lead to serious prevention of blood flow because they increase the chance of blood clotting in the artery. It results in problems such as chest pains, heart attacks, and angina.

Sometimes, you might not have signs that you are suffering from coronary heart disease. However, when your heart is working harder, this condition can be detected. This is because, during exercise when the heart is working hard, more blood with oxygen will be needed. Narrow arteries cannot supply enough blood to help your heart work well. The signs of coronary heart disease only occur during exercises.

Moreover, detection of other problems may occur during a stress testing. The problems act as indicators that your heart is receiving an insufficient supply of oxygenated blood during exercise. Firstly, it can depict heart rate, blood pressure, or abnormal changes. Besides, abnormal heart rhythm, chest pain, and signs of short breath, during low exercise level can be detected.

Evidence of insufficient flow of the blood in your heart can arise if you are not able to complete your healthy exercise on time during the testing that is considered for your age. However, not only the coronary disease that can lower duration of the exercise but also other factors, such as lung disease, poor fitness, and anemia. Heart valve disease and heart failure are among the conditions a physician can examine using a stress testing.

Various tests can be used by your doctor in Princeton, NJ, although the most common is the one known as exercise stress testing. This test is also called treadmill test and is used to give information on how the heart responds to physical strain. When undertaking this exam, heart rate, blood pressure and electrocardiogram are monitored.

Your doctor may as well employ nuclear stress testing. This is important in finding out parts of the heart that are healthy or unhealthy. The doctor administers an injection with a radioactive substance in a small amount and observes the rays produced by the element using a special camera. Exact areas in your heart with dwindling in blood supply can be detected in this way.




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