Heart Awareness: Do You Need a Cardiac Stress Test?

You may have heard of your friends, family or coworkers having a cardiac stress test done, but do you know what that means or measures?  A cardiac stress test measures how well your heart is able to perform when it is under physical stress and it is used to help diagnose heart problems.

While February was Heart Awareness Month, every month is important to take care of your heart.  That's why the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute list some of the following reasons why you may need a cardiac stress test:

• You have experienced symptoms of reduced blood flow to the heart, including shortness of breath and chest pains.
• You have arrhythmia symptoms during exercise, including a fluttering sensation in the chest, irregular heartbeat or feeling faint.
• You have shortness of breath without chest pain following exercise.