Dr. Hitesh Patel is a Frederick, Maryland, cardiovascular practitioner who provides services such as ultrasound and Holter monitoring. Dr. Hitesh Patel also performs stress tests, which are known as exercise electrocardiograms and are undertaken using treadmills.
Exercise is ideal for testing heart function, as it brings to the fore any arrhythmias, or abnormal heart rhythms, that may exist and helps identify whether coronary artery disease is present. The stress test begins with the patient walking at a slow pace. As the test progresses, the incline and speed of the treadmill are gradually increased, which provides a number of guideposts as to how the heart responds to varying levels of exercise and induced stress. It is critical that the patient let the physician know when symptoms such as extreme fatigue, dizziness, chest pain, or abnormal shortness of breath occur.
Once the test is finished, the patient lies down and the resting heart rate, blood pressure, and ECG are recorded for 3-5 minutes. The final step in the test is a thorough review of the data by a cardiologist, followed by a report sent to the doctor or doctors directly involved in the patient's care.
