WHY HAS MY DOCTOR REQUESTED THIS INVESTIGATION?
Generally a Stress Test will be ordered if you are experiencing chest pain. This pain may be described as ‘typical’ if it fits a description of angina (cardiac pain which is typically associated with exertion when the heart is under increased workload or ‘stress’) or ‘atypical’ if for instance it is experienced at rest rather than during exertion, and may be due to factors such as gastric reflux or chest wall problems (for instance pain from where a rib joins its cartilage). It should be noted that pain caused by gastric reflux may be virtually indistinguishable from angina other than the fact that angina is typically induced or worsened by exertion.
Generally a Stress Test will be ordered if you are experiencing chest pain. This pain may be described as ‘typical’ if it fits a description of angina (cardiac pain which is typically associated with exertion when the heart is under increased workload or ‘stress’) or ‘atypical’ if for instance it is experienced at rest rather than during exertion, and may be due to factors such as gastric reflux or chest wall problems (for instance pain from where a rib joins its cartilage). It should be noted that pain caused by gastric reflux may be virtually indistinguishable from angina other than the fact that angina is typically induced or worsened by exertion.