The Medical Consumer:
Testing the Heart
Nothing can quicken the pulse of a caregiver more effectively than being told their loved one needs to take one of the many diagnostic tests available for heart disease. After all, why would a doctor order a test in the first place if something wasn’t amiss?
In fact, doctors order diagnostic tests for a host of reasons. They may simply be motivated by the desire to rule out a condition, rather than confirm it. Regardless, they turn to diagnostic tests because they believe that testing will produce the additional insight they need to hone in on a specific course of treatment.
As a caregiver, you should first ask your loved one’s physician why they ordered the test and what they hope to find out. Then you should educate yourself about the test your loved one will be getting. Here are thumbnail descriptions of some of the most common ones:
- An electrocardiogram (EKG or ECG) measures the electrical activity of the heartbeat. It monitors changes in heart rhythm and can tell a cardiologist if parts of the heart have become bigger.
- A chest X-ray can reveal if the heart is enlarged due to a condition like congestive heart failure or if fluid is accumulating in the lungs.
- An echocardiogram uses sound waves to create moving images of the heart. It provides a quick assessment of the overall health of the heart, including the status of a patient’s heart valves and degree of heart muscle contraction.
- An exercise stress test can help determine causes of chest pain and show rhythm disturbances during exercise. During an exercise stress test, the patient is connected to an EKG machine and then walks on a treadmill or is given medication intravenously that simulates the effects of exercise.
- An angiogram is a form of cardiac catheterization. A thin plastic tube is inserted into an artery and threaded to the heart, where it releases a special dye. This enables physicians to use X-rays to examine coronary blood vessels and chambers in great detail. An angiogram can be used to tell if arteries are narrowed or blocked and can measure blood pressure within the heart and the amount of oxygen in the blood.
As a caregiver, you may be naturally anxious about what these tests might reveal about your loved one’s health. Regardless of the results, the information you gain can help you make decisions that more effectively ensure your loved one will enjoy the best possible quality of life.