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If you have any symptoms of heart problems such as heart palpitations, tightness in the chest, or irregular heart beat; your doctor will mostly likely tell you that you need to get an EKG. You will most likely be tested on a used EKG machine, which is tried and true. In addition, doctors sometimes prescribe EKG stress tests as well.
An EKG stress test is used in conjunction with a heart treadmill piece of medical equipment. Heart treadmills show physicians how a patient's heart acts during exercise or under stress. While a patient undergoes stress tests on a heart treadmill she or he is hooked up to electrodes. These are connected to devices called leads which are connected to an electrocardiogram (EKG) and a monitor that delivers a look at the patient's hearts' reaction to the exercise.
To prepare for an EKG machine stress test you must avoid any food or beverages for four hours prior to the testing. You are then hooked up to the electrodes as well as a blood pressure cuff. During the test the treadmill's speed and incline will increase gradually about every 2-3 minutes, and the patients' heart and blood pressure reaction to the increase is monitored.
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