Stress Test
What is a Stress Test?
A stress test, sometimes called a treadmill test or exercise test, helps a doctor find out how well your heart reacts to the demands of physical activity. During the exercise stress test you will walk on a treadmill. As your body works harder during the test, it requires more oxygen, so the heart must pump more blood. Even if your heart works well at rest, it may not get enough blood supply when it has to work harder. The stress test can help detect heart problems that may not be obvious while you are at rest.
During the stress test an electrocardiogram (EKG) records the electrical activity of your heart to observe for abnormal changes. Your blood pressure and any symptoms that you may experience will be monitored during the test.
A Stress Test is done to:
- Diagnose the case of unexplained chest pain
- Determine the hearts exercise capacity
- Detect reduced blood flow to the heart muscle, which may indicate heart disease
- Evaluate how well your medications or cardiac procedure is working
- Observe for abnormal heart rhythm disturbances that may occur during exercise