You may have heard about people undergoing a cardiac stress test in Bardonia, Chestnut Ridge, New Square, Hillcrest, Monsey, NY, and the surrounding areas, and you may even have done one yourself. But do you really understand what the test is and why it is a useful tool for your heart doctor? At Cardiology of Hudson Valley, we provide a number of different tests as well as heart treatments, and one of the tests that we utilize is the cardiac stress test. Whatever version your cardiac stress test takes, there are three main things that will be looked at: your heart’s electrical activity, also referred to as an EKG; your blood pressure; and finally, your heart rhythm. In most cases, you will be doing an exercise stress test, taking place on either a treadmill or exercise bike. The patient is connected to an EKG machine and will have blood pressure monitored. Often an echocardiogram of the heart both before the test and after the test to help with visualizing how the heart is operating. Contact us today to learn more and to schedule an appointment with our heart doctor.
Why Does Your Doctor Want a Stress Test
There could be several different reasons why your doctor would want you to take a stress test. The first is to diagnose a heart condition that you may have, such as coronary artery disease, arrhythmia, heart failure, or issues with your heart’s valves. Another reason is to evaluate some symptoms that you have been experiencing, such as shortness of breath, dizziness, or lightheadedness. A third reason is to monitor treatment and fitness, such as after a procedure or a surgery.
If you have had a stress test in the past, then we can compare your latest stress test results with your previous results to see if there are any changes and how severe those changes are. Otherwise, there are known ranges that we can compare against, as well as looking at the results and then lining them up with the symptoms that you are complaining about.
These Are Not Routine Tests
Some patients wonder about the frequency of performing stress tests, and the good news is that this is not a routine diagnostic tool. Instead, these stress tests are only performed when needed, and often there are other less intensive and easier to monitor tests that we can do to help diagnose issues and work on developing an attack plan to help correct things. While it does provide valuable information, usually these are not done any more frequently than every few years, if needed.
A cardiac stress test is a valuable tool that our heart doctor will use in Bardonia, Chestnut Ridge, New Square, Hillcrest, Monsey, NY, and the surrounding areas with specific patients, when warranted. There are a few different versions of them, and at Cardiology of Hudson Valley we will let you know which version will provide the best results. The whole goal is to create a customized plan back to better health. Contact us today to learn more and schedule an appointment.