An exercise stress test shows how fast your heart is beating and if its rhythm is steady or not. If you have symptoms like chest pain or shortness of breath, your healthcare provider might have you take this test.
Cardiac Stress Test: Exercise ImagingAn exercise stress test shows how fast your heart is beating and if its rhythm is steady or not. If you have symptoms like chest pain or shortness of breath, your healthcare provider might have you take this test.An exercise imaging stress test shows how well blood flows inside your heart and how well your heart pumps blood. It gives more information than a non-imaging stress test.An exercise imaging stress test can help your healthcare provider find out if you have coronary artery disease, also called CAD. With CAD, the blood vessels that supply blood to your heart muscle can narrow. This means that your heart tissues may not get enough blood during exercise, when your heart has to work harder. The heart then can't work as well.The test can also find out if your treatments for heart disease are working. And it can show if you need other tests to look for narrowed arteries.You also might need an imaging stress test to show how hard you can safely exercise. Or you might need one if you can't exercise long enough to get your heart rate up for a non-imaging stress test.Exercise imaging stress tests are very safe, and your healthcare provider can quickly stop the test if you feel unwell or there's a problem.What to ExpectBefore your test, you may need to stop taking certain medications, including over-the-counter medications. You may be asked to not eat or drink anything but water for a short time before the test. It's important not to have caffeine before the test, so be sure to avoid coffee, tea, and soda.Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothes and good walking shoes.Your healthcare provider will look at how well your heart works before, during, and after the test.During the test, you might ride a stationary bike, walk on a treadmill, or turn a crank with your arms. You'll have to work harder and harder as the test goes on.If you can't exercise for some reason, your healthcare provider will instead give you medication that makes your heart work hard, like it would during exercise.As you exercise, imaging tests will be done to see how your heart is working. One type of testing, called echocardiography or echo, uses sound waves to create a moving picture of your heart.Other types of imaging tests use a special dye to create pictures of the blood flow to your heart. Your healthcare provider injects dye into your bloodstream.A special scanner takes pictures of your heart at least twice: when it's at rest and when it's working hard.Pregnant women shouldn't have this type of test, so if you're a woman, make sure to tell your healthcare provider if you're pregnant or might be pregnant.During the test, a healthcare provider will also monitor your blood pressure, your heart rate, your breathing, how well you are feeling, and the air you breathe out. All of this gives information about how your heart is working.Once your healthcare provider has the information he or she needs, the test will stop.You might need to stop your test early if you have problems such as:Moderate to severe chest pain Extreme shortness of breath Abnormally low or high blood pressure, or An abnormal heart rhythm If you have any of these symptoms, tell the healthcare provider right away. You can stop the test any time the exercise is too much for you.After the test, you'll be monitored for a while. Once you're sent home, you can return to normal activities that same day.If your test results are normal, you might not need further treatment or tests. Your healthcare provider can give you more information about other tests if you need them.Things to RememberYou might need an imaging cardiac stress test to see how well the blood moves through your heart when it works hard.The test gives helpful information that your healthcare provider can use to help plan your treatment.You can always stop the exercise part of the test if you need to.What We Have LearnedYou might need an imaging stress test if you can't exercise long enough for a non-imaging test. True or false? The answer is true. During the test, you might ride a stationary bike, walk on a treadmill, or turn a crank with your arms.Remember to eat a big lunch right before your test. True or false? The answer is false. You should not eat before the test, and you should drink only water. Make sure to not have caffeine, either.
Online Medical Reviewer: Weinrauch, Larry, MD
Date Last Reviewed: 01/01/2021
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