Many systems in your body keep it going, one of which is the cardiovascular system. If any structure of this whole framework goes dysfunctional, then the entire framework collapses. Your heart is one of the fundamental parts that must be in order at all times. And for that, checking on it is necessary. An echo stress test is one of many ways you can do that.
What is An Echo Stress Test?
A stress echocardiogram test depicts the working condition of a human heart. What it does, is that, with the help of sound waves (ultrasonic) provides moving images of the heart. This lets the healthcare professional asses the size and shape along with motion of the heart and its valves.
With the help of exercise, this test assesses how well the heart works under stressful conditions. This “stress” being talked about is the work under pressure via walking on the treadmill.
Preparation of an Echo Stress Test
There are certain limitations and preventive measures that one needs to take before and after the stress echo test for relevant results and interpretation of it.
- Steer clear of caffeine for at least 24 hours before the test.
- Do not take or stop any medicines without talking to your cardiologist.
- Do not eat or drink anything that day before going for the test.
- Moreover, stay away from smoking or tobacco use that day.
- Always make sure that you or any other person going for the test is in comfortable clothes and shoes.
How Does This Test Work?
With the help of an ultrasound transducer, the echo machine or an echocardiogram sends sound waves to the heart. These waves “echo” or bounce off the hard heart tissues but goes through soft ones. The transducer machine captures and interprets the echoes to turn them into moving images.
This test shows how your heart responds when pressure or hard work is applied to it. In the case of a blocked coronary artery, the blood comes from the artery which does not function well under stress. The cardiologist can decipher any abnormal heart function by comparing echocardiogram images under stress (during the test) with those taken at rest.
Under What Conditions A Stress Test Is Performed On the Heart
More often than not, this test is a requirement for those people who health workers want to diagnose with coronary artery disease. In this condition, the blood vessels carrying the blood to your heart muscle suffer from blockage.
Other than that, a stress echo test may diagnose or can monitor the status of other conditions, like:
- Cardiomyopathy
- CHD – Congenital heart disease
- Heart failure
- Pulmonary hypertension
- Heart valve disease
Symptoms That Indicate the Need for This Test
Your doctor may ask you to get this test done if symptoms of heart disease show up, which include:
- Angina – chest pain or pressure
- Lightheadedness
- Dizziness
- Arrhythmia or rapid, irregular heartbeat
- Breathing difficulties – dyspnea
Conclusion
This stress echocardiogram is merely one of the tests that are done to diagnose or monitor heart-related troubles. Talk to one of our cardiologists at Epic Heart and Vascular Center for a heart exam. Call at Houston location (832) 432-1951 and (832) 952-1951 Willowbrook locations.