Exercise test
- Article
- 2021-02-01
Also known as Exercise stress test, treadmill test
A stress test measures how healthy your heart is and how well it works during physical stress. Some heart problems are easier to diagnose when your heart is working hard to pump blood around your body, such as when you exercise.
A stress test is used to diagnose and evaluate heart problems such as ischemic heart disease, heart valve disease, or heart failure. Your doctor may recommend this test if you have symptoms of a heart problem, such as shortness of breath, chest pain, dizziness, and a fast or irregular heartbeat. If your doctor finds a problem, the stress test can also help your doctor choose the right treatment plan and determine what types of physical activity are safe for you.
A stress test usually involves exercise, such as walking on a treadmill or riding a stationary bike. The test can be done in a hospital or doctor's office. While you exercise, your doctor will measure your heart rate and blood pressure and the electrical activity of your heart. If you are unable to exercise, your doctor will give you a medicine that will make your heart work hard and make it beat faster, as if you were exercising.
Your doctor will monitor you carefully during the test to minimize the risk of complications from exercise or medications used to increase your heart rate. Some heart problems may get worse with vigorous exercise during the test. If your doctor gives you medication to make your heart beat faster instead of exercising, there is a small risk that you will develop certain heart problems after the test.
What to Expect- Stress test
A stress test is usually done in a hospital or doctor's office. Your doctor will give you instructions on how to prepare for the test and what to expect during and after the test.
For the stress test
Your doctor may ask you not to take some of your prescription medications or to avoid coffee, tea, or other drinks containing caffeine on the day of your test, as these can affect your results. Your doctor will ask you to wear comfortable clothes and shoes for the test.
For the stress test, your doctor will apply sticky patches called electrodes to your chest and attach a blood pressure cuff to your arm and a pulse monitor to your finger or other part of your body. Your doctor will measure your heart activity and blood pressure before you start the test.
During the stress test
You will slowly start exercising on a treadmill or stationary bike, then gradually increase the speed of the treadmill or the cycling resistance until your heart is working at the target heart rate for your age. Typically, a stress test will include an electrocardiogram to measure your heart's electrical activity while you are exercising on a treadmill or stationary bike. Your doctor can also measure your blood oxygen levels, blood pressure, and heart rate. During the test, you exercise for 10 to 15 minutes. Your doctor will stop the test if you show any signs of a heart problem or if you are too tired to continue the test.
If you are unable to exercise, your doctor will give you the medicine through an intravenous (IV) line into one of your blood vessels over a period of 10 to 20 minutes.
Your doctor may also take pictures of your heart during or just after the stress test to see how well the blood is flowing through your heart and how well your heart is pumping blood when it beats. These pictures can be taken by echocardiography or by injecting a radioactive dye into one of your veins called a nuclear heart scan. The amount of radiation in the dye is considered safe for you and those around you. However, if you are pregnant you should not have this test because of the risks it may pose to your unborn child.
If your doctor also wants to see how well your lungs are working, you may be asked to wear a mask or mouthpiece to measure the gases you exhale during the stress test.
After the stress test
After the stress test, your doctor will measure your heart activity and blood pressure to make sure that both measurements are back in the normal range. You should be able to return to your normal activities immediately. If you've had a test that involved radioactive dye, your doctor may ask you to drink a lot to flush it out of your body.
If your stress test shows that your heart is healthy, you may not have oneneed further tests or treatment. Your doctor may order other diagnostic tests or imaging tests if the results of the stress test indicate that you may have heart disease, if you are physically unable to exercise, or if you continue to have symptoms such as shortness of breath or chest pain.
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