Why You Should Ask Your Doctor For A Stress Test

Health & Medical Blog

Unless you're dealing with chest pains, have had a heart attack or are battling some other type of circulatory ailment, there's a good chance that your doctor won't give you a stress test at your annual physical. The physical usually consists of a few routine things like checking your heart rate, ears and drawing blood to see if there's any change in your vital statistics. However, even if it seems like you're completely fine and there's nothing wrong with your heart it's still good to request a stress test. Keep reading through the information below so you can see why.

Sedentary Lifestyles Can Hide So Much

If your job consists of you sitting down in front of a computer for several hours each day there's a good chance that you aren't getting a lot of exercise. When you get home from work you're likely extremely tired and just want to eat and veg out in front of the television for the rest of the night. This sort of lifestyle is quite common, but that doesn't mean that it is ideal.

Your body works differently when you are at rest. There could be a small to medium-sized blockage in one of your arteries but because you don't move very strenuously each day it can remain hidden. The blood doesn't move as quickly when you aren't engaged in a high-level activity so it can essentially squeeze around the blockage. This could be why you find that some people who go outside to shovel snow find themselves laid out on the ground. Their heart had to pump the blood much faster to accommodate the activity and there was an unknown clog in one of their arteries.

Stress Tests Force You To Move

The stress test puts you in an artificial environment where you are forced to engage in something such as brisk walking or running. Your physician is then able to check your statistics to see just how your heart is operating. Even if you went into the test feeling just fine you might be surprised when you see that you aren't quite able to complete the test because there is an unseen blockage in the way.

Getting a stress test is just one way for you to protect your health. You need to know that your circulatory system is highly functional and it's best to get the test before you end up in the hospital due to something that could have been prevented.

To learn more, contact a clinic like Alpert Zales & Castro Pediatric Cardiology

Share

11 March 2018

introducing your daughter to the gynecologist

Having a daughter comes with a number of challenges. One challenge that you will one day need to tackle is determining when to introduce your daughter to the gynecologist. Do you take your daughter to the same gynecologist that you see or take her somewhere else? Do you wait until she gets her first period or do you take her in to learn about the menstrual cycle from the doctor? There is a long list of questions you likely have about introducing your daughter to the world of gynecology. Having gone through this twice myself, I have learned quite a bit and have included a lot of helpful information in my site to help other parents get through this complicated time a little easier.