A cardiac stress test helps your doctor to see how well your heart can cope during exercise, when the bodies need for oxygen creates extra demands on the heart. How your heart reacts to stress during exercise can determine the treatment best suited for your condition. Cardiac stress tests can also be referred as exercise tolerance test, or exercise electrocardiography.

At The Health Centers, your doctor may order a cardiac stress test for a number of reasons:

If your doctor recommends a stress test it it important to know that most are uneventful, however occasionally problems may occur. You will be watched very closely during the test. Please ask your doctor if you have any concerns about the testing.

For the test you will want to wear comfortable loose fitting clothes and walking or jogging shoes. Before you begin your doctor will take your vital signs. During the test you will be monitored by the doctor and an EKG machine. You will be asked to exercise on a treadmill, bike or an arm ergonometer beginning slowly and increasing in speed to reach your target heart rate. Once you have reached your target heart rate you will be asked to slow down. Do not stop until your doctor tells you too.

If at any time during the test you experience any chest pain, difficulty breathing or feelings of fatigue tell your doctor immediately. After you are finished call your doctor immediately if you think you are going to faint. Seek emergency care if you have trouble breathing or you have any symptoms of a heart attack. Chest pain that spreads into your arms, jaw or back, nausea, trouble breathing, sweating are all signs of a heart attack.