Exercise ECG is the basic method of diagnosing coronary artery disease. During the stress test, when the patient is walking on a treadmill or riding an exercise bike, heart rate and blood pressure are checked. See how long a stress test takes and how to interpret the result.
The heart works differently when it is resting and differently when the body exposes to exercise. Therefore, in order to thoroughly examine how this important organ works, a simple ECG test is not enough , you also need to regularly perform an exercise test, i.e. an exercise electrocardiogram. It turns out that under the influence of exercise, some cardio-logical diseases appear. Therefore, the examination is necessary in patients with cardiac arrhythmias and coronary artery disease, but athletes should also do it regularly.
Exercise ECG indication
A referral for an exercise test should give to a patient with disturbing symptoms associated with coronary artery disease:
- unexplained chest pain
- obesity
- hypertension
- high cholesterol
An additional indication in such situations is smoking and heart disease in close relatives.
The exercise test is also perform in the diagnosis and treatment of ischemic heart disease, cardiac arrhythmias, and in post-infarction rehabilitation, when it is necessary to assess the cardiovascular capacity. The examination is also necessary before the plan coronagraphy and after the bypass surgery.If you want to solve these problems about ECG and health related then contact a health and wellness coach for proper and efficient results.Professional health coach is well trained.
What does an exercise test look like?
Exercise ECG is not an invasive test, although it may not be performed in every patient. Before the test, electrodes are glue to the chest and a blood pressure cuff is place on the upper arm. First, the ECG is examined while resting. Then the measurements take while walking on a treadmill or riding a stationary bike. The exercise test lasts about 20 minutes, during which time blood pressure and the ECG are systematically recorded.
The so-called Bruce protocol, during which the load increases every 3 minutes, the speed and incline of the treadmill are change. When riding an exercise bike, the speed remains the same and the load increases.
Exercise test preparation
Before the examination, shave the chest skin at the electrode areas. The patient should eat the last meal 3 hours before the EKG (diabetics should have something to eat with them). However, you must take drinking water with you. The subject should refrain from smoking for 4 hours. The day before the examination and on the day of the exercise ECG, it is forbid to drink alcohol. The test do in comfortable clothes and shoes.
You should not come for the examination at the last minute, it is good to reserve half an hour to have time to rest.
Exercise ECG – when should the test be stopped?
During the exercise test, the doctor constantly asks the patient about his health, because it may turn out that due to exercise, the patient’s condition will deteriorate and the ECG will have to be stopped. This is necessary when there are, among others:
- sudden pain in the chest
- dizziness
- suspicion that the patient may faint
- skin that is pale or blue
- changes in the ECG
- atrial fibrillation
- ventricular tachycardia
- Exercise test results
If no disturbing symptoms appeared during the stress test and the ECG recording is normal, the stress test gives a negative result, which means that the patient is healthy. A cause for concern is a positive exercise test, as it may indicate the development of coronary heart disease.
Stress test – contraindications
Electrocardiographic stress test is not perform in every patient. An exercise ECG do not perform for the first two days after the infarction, if the patient has unstable coronary artery disease, has just had a lung infarction, shows signs of aortic stenosis, arrhythmias, acute myocarditis or pericarditis, and acute aortic dissection.
