Often there is no serious danger posed on you due to stress test. The risk percentage of the stress test turning into a heart attack or more serious like death is in 0.02% or 1 in 5000. However there can be some mild side effects that are sometimes noticed in a patient. If these symptoms continue even after your heart is back to its rest position, you must choose to visit a doctor and get treated.
Some of the side effects of a stress test are:
- Chest pain
- Muscle fatigue
- Irregular heartbeat or arrhythmia.
- Low blood pressure.
- Dizziness
- Discomfort and jitteriness
- Wheezing
- Shortness of breath
- Symptoms of asthma.
Are Stress Tests Dangerous?
Stress tests are not dangerous. Arrhythmia or Arrhythmias causing irregular heartbeats may occur once the stress test becomes more difficult. Usually at the point of time when the irregular heartbeat happens, the stress test is usually stopped. As soon as the stress test is stopped, arrhythmias geos away quickly and the heart reaches to its rest position. If side effects like irregular heartbeats continue getting monitored on the EKG machine even after the stress test being stopped and you entering into the rest position, it is then a serious diagnosis and you need to get thorough medical check-up and treatment.
The fall of the blood pressure level with the increase in the amount of pressure that the heart has to go through during the stress tests can make you feel dizzy or you may even start to faint. Such symptoms mostly do not linger on after the stress test is over and the heart is back to its resting position. If the symptoms remains even when your heart is not working heard, it indicates that you need medical help and treatment.
There can be some development of an uneasy, jittery feeling after you are given a medicine for a stress test in case you cannot exercise. Such feelings die away shortly after the medicine settles in your system. These effects may last only up to a couple of hours. Any kind pharmacological medicines used for stress test may also develop symptoms like breathlessness and wheezing. Other asthma symptoms may also accompany during the process of the medicine getting into your system. If these side effects are persistent even after hours of the stress test being done, it indicates the need immediate medical attention.
Myocardial infarction (or heart attack) is very rare a side effect but there has been cases when the person has had a heart attack while going through the stress test.
What Can You Do To Comfortably Go Through A Stress Test?
The stress test is very keenly monitored by able technicians and doctors so it can be assured that any kind of irregularity if noticed, the stress test is stopped immediately. These side effects also help to notice there is any blockage in the coronary arteries of the heart preventing or interfering with the process of proper blood flow.
It is suggested that a person should not take any drink, any food items or smoke for at least two to three hours before the stress test.
If you are under any kind of medication confirm with your doctor f you should be taking those medications in your scheduled time when you are coming for a stress test, especially if it is related to cardiac problems. Otherwise you usual term of medication causes no hindrance.
If you are using an inhaler, carry it with you for the stress test. Also make the doctor and the technician aware of the fact that you use an inhaler.
For an exercise stress test, wear running shoes and comfortable clothes.
