There are certain functions the human body is designed to perform during periods of increased pressure and stress. We also react in predictable ways from a biochemical point of view. One of the ways your body reacts to stress is for your heart to work harder, or your cardiac output increases. Both blood pressure and heart rate increase, thus allowing your body to face whatever might be causing you stress. Stress tests are performed because they are considered the perfect method to gauge the strength of your heart as well as its limitations if higher demands are placed on it.

One variety of nuclear stress test uses Thallium, which is a radioactive compound. Since very small quantities of the substance are used, there is no danger to the body. Additionally, Thallium’s radioactivity decays and it is removed naturally from the body quite quickly.

Thallium, though, allows doctors to create a representation of your heart’s chambers so doctors can determine their size. A doctor can use these images to determine how healthy your heart is as well as other pertinent data. On top of that, a doctor will be able to determine how easily the heart can pump blood. Based on these images, doctors can also tell if the heart is suffering from any damage. There is a variety of different situations that could compel your doctor to have you undergo a stress test. What you may find is doctor’s want to be very sure they do not overlook anything. With that in mind they order these tests in hopes that they will either eliminate heart disease as a possibility or confirm their suspicions. The most obvious and common situation is when there are clear symptoms that are suggestive of heart disease. Higher than average risk factors may also lead to a stress test being ordered. For people who have symptoms that could be caused by other diseases as well, stress tests on a regular basis are a good idea.

An electrocardiogram, or EKG, is used during a regular cardiac stress test. Unfortunately, this particular device leaves quite a bit of room for interpretation. Sometimes, changes in the EKG can be caused by things that are not at all related to heart disease. Doctors may have to make some tough decisions about the testing process if there are things showing up out of the ordinary during the “at rest” phase of testing. Most of the time, doctors in this situation will simply order a different type of stress test. The average participant will find that the typical stress test remains a viable option. Each type of cardiac stress test has its advantages and particular purpose. They assist in helping doctors make the most accurate diagnosis available. Keep in mind that there are optimum conditions involved with each test that will, or could potentially, have an effect on the accuracy of the results and diagnosis.

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