The cardiac stress test is used to figure out any significant blockage of blood supply to your heart. This test enables a doctor to know about functioning of your heart. The doctor looks at the heart muscle by finding out how much of radioactive material is picked up by your heart.

Generally, there are two ways to carry the stress test. One is the treadmill test, and the other is drug test. The doctor and an instructor will ask you to walk a few blocks on treadmill, without feeling pain. A device displays the result report on a screen and the doctor gets to know about state of your heart. Before the test, understand the instructions carefully, and do not panic. Some patients tend to get excited before the test and are not able to walk properly.

Try to relax your mind and begin gradually. If you are not able to walk much for any reason, or if the doctor is not satisfied by your treadmill test, there is another option as drug stress test. The doctor will give you some drugs through IV and will get to know about your heart.

When you go for stress test, you will be required to place some light weight pads on your chest. Though you may feel uncomfortable wearing the pads, ensure that you get maximum contact of these pads with your body so that the device gets proper signal for right diagnosis. It helps the ECG monitor to get correct and accurate heart rate and rhythm, throughout the test. The screen displays a few spikes and dips in the line tracings that are important to your doctor.

The stress test will reveal your heart rate and your blood pressure when your heart is put on some stress. If you feel some sort of chest or arm pain during test, or shortness of breath, tell the person who is taking the test. A radioactive material will be put through the IV line about 60 seconds before the end of the test. 

• If you feel frequent chest pain.
• To diagnose if you have some kind of heart disease.
• If you have suffered a heart attack, the stress test may help you to track the progress of recovery. The test enables you to know how much physical strain and exercise your heart can tolerate.
• Identify the reasons for heart palpitation that increases during a physical activity.
• The test enables you to know if there is any blockage or narrowing of an artery that had been caused due to a medical procedure. This happens particularly after a coronary artery bypass surgery. Also, the chances of artery blockage are more if you have chest pain.
• You can get to know if your body can tolerate your new exercise program. This is important if you have been inactive for many years which might have increased the chances of a heart disease.

If you are over thirty five years of age, and do not have any physical activity, you might have developed a silent, hidden heart disease. Experts say that in such cases you should get a stress test to know if your heart is working properly. However, since young people have less chances of developing any heart disease, your test report may not be accurate. You should get it done from two different heart specialists to verify the report.

Preparing for Stress Test

For many patients, undergoing a stress test can be stressful. You may feel anxiety at the prospect of diagnosing something serious. People should around have an important role to play in trying to feel you relaxed. Prepare yourself well for the test. Consult your doctor about any precautions before the test. Usually, it is recommended not to eat or drink anything at least four hours before the test. For treadmill stress test, you should not have tea, coffee, or chocolate for at least 24 hours before the test. 

Do not wear tight fitting clothes that may make you feel uncomfortable on treadmill. Use sports shoes or soft shoes for comfortable walk. Discuss with your doctor if you are taking any drugs for some other disease. It is possible that your doctor would suggest you to stop taking those medicines sometime before the test. In such cases, you can bring these medicines with you, and take them after the stress test is over. Some doctors also ask you to sign a consent form. This is to cover any risk as a result of test.