The holidays are a stressful time of year, and with 2022 finally here, many of us have set out with good intentions and resolutions to make the most out of this brand new year! Making sure your heart is healthy is one of the best ways to support all of your other health goals.
Our doctor is an expert at evaluating the function and health of your heart. He routinely offers a stress test for those who need it to determine how strong their heart is. A stress test assesses your heart and valves, evaluates how your heart responds to physical activity, assesses your risk for coronary heart disease and determines the effectiveness of your current cardiac treatment.
The Stress Test
The test is simple. You will want to wear comfy clothes and running shoes and you can have a light meal before coming in. We will attach electrodes onto your chest and then you will need to work out on either a treadmill or stationary bicycle while we monitor your heart’s responses. You will begin the test at a fairly easy level and steadily ramp up until maximum stress level is attained. At any time if you need to, you can ask us to halt the test. But it is advisable to exercise as long as you can so we can accurately determine your heart’s performance under the most stress. Once we stop your treadmill we will have you quickly sit down and roll over onto your left hip and put your left arm behind your head. At that point, we use a transducer to check the images of your heart for an entire minute (while holding your breath).
The Stress Echo
Dr. Abroon offers a stress echo, also called a stress echocardiogram. This is a one-hour stationary test that assesses your heart’s:
- Size
- Resting rate
- Function
- Structure
We start by putting a colorless gel onto your chest and using a transducer to take images of your heart. We will have you lying on your left side on an exam table during the procedure. We will ask you to hold your breath for short measures so we can get higher-quality images of your heart. While you should wear comfortable clothing, we might ask you to change into a medical gown for efficiency.Â
Depending on your medical condition and situation, you may be required to have one or both of these treatments done during your appointment so Dr. Abroon can effectively assess your heart health and function. If you would like to start the new year out striving for your best health, we encourage you to give us a call to schedule an appointment. Your heart will thank you!