If you check one or more items, talk to your doctor first. If, during exercise, you experience any of the physical symptoms listed below, contact your doctor right away. It is one of the first tests used to diagnose heart disease, although a normal EKG doesn't guarantee that the heart and coronary arteries are normal. Holter Monitoring is a continuous recording of your heart's electrical activity for 24 hours while you go about your normal activities. It is very useful in diagnosing abnormal heart rhythms and in determining whether recurring symptoms such as dizziness, fainting and palpitations are caused by abnormal rhythms.
Echocardiogram uses sound waves to produce pictures of the heart in motion.
It is used to diagnose abnormalities of the heart valves, the heart muscle and the fluid-filled sac surrounding the heart. Stress Testing helps your doctor evaluate your heart at rest, while your heart rate is increasing as you exercise on a treadmill or as a result of medication, and after your heart rate reaches its peak. The test can show how well the heart muscle is contracting and if portions of the heart muscle are deprived of blood. Your doctor may also order a stress test to determine the safety of an exercise program, such as Phase II cardiac rehabilitation. If so, new hope is available.