It is a very common question “what not to do before a stress test?” It is very obvious that there are always some measures one has to consider before going for any medical procedure/treatment.
Like all, there are some precautionary measures you have to take under consideration before going for a stress test. In this article, you will be able to know what activities to refrain from before a stress test.
This test is performed to check the condition of your heart. It is also known as an exercise stress test or treadmill stress test. It gives your doctor a notion about how well your heart can perform while doing some physical activity. With the help of this test, your doctor can analyze your cardiac health on the basis of your risk of getting heart disease.
Related: Treadmill Stress Test Interpretation
Different people might have to take different precautionary measures depending on the nature of severity of their problem. Also, the measures may be different for a person suffering from diabetes, blood pressure, or some other disease.
If someone is having an uncommon problem then he/she has to consult his/her doctor. Make sure to let your doctor know about all types of medicines you take.
In order to get accurate results of stress test, you need to follow all of the jotted-down points before going for a stress test.
How Should I Prepare for the Exercise Stress Test?
Avoid any kind of eatables and also don’t drink anything before 4 hours of the test. Though you can drink water.
Don’t quit taking any medication without consulting your doctor.
Avoid caffeinated products like soft drinks, tea, coffee, cocoa, energy drinks, supplements etc.
If you are allergic to pollens or dust (i.e. you have breathing problems) bring your inhaler with you.
Bring the list of all the medications and doses too and discuss with your doctor.
Things to avoid before 24 hours of test
No caffeinated products(coffee, tea, etc). Also don’t take headache medicines containing caffeine(Excedrin, Motrin, Anacin, etc.)
Don’t smoke for at least one day prior to the test.
Also, refrain from drinking as it can alter the treadmill test results.
Try to avoid colas and soft drinks even if they are marked as caffeine-free.
How should I dress for stress test?
It is usually recommended to wear light and loose clothes. The shoes you wear should have a rubber sole(soft sole) or jogging shoes will also be good as you have to do exercise on the treadmill.
What not to do before a stress test if I am diabetic?
Today almost every 1 person out of 9 is suffering from diabetes. So if you are going for a stress test and also have diabetes then you have to consider the following steps in order to get the correct results of a stress test. If you are diabetic then recommended is to take advice from your doctor as your case might be different. But most common precautionary measures for diabetic patients are jotted down.
If you take pills to control your blood sugar level then don’t take pills on the day of test.
Make sure to eat and take your medication not immediately but after 3-4 hours of the test.
If you take insulin to control your blood sugar level, then consult your doctor in this regard as it depends on your sugar level whether you have to take insulin or not on the day of test.
And you can also read what will happen if you fail a stress test.
Prefer to eat very light food like juice, fruit, or cereals before 4 hours of the test. Don’t smoke or drink for at least one day before the test.
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This is Safeer Ahmad founder of FitnessGearsHub. I’m an aspirant fitness freak, I commenced my career as a blogger and I opted for “gym and fitness” as my primary domain. As all fitness gears fancy me, I spend considerable time on research before buying one, I believe a health fanatic should be mindful of the product before making buying decision so I’ll try my level best to provide you ample information to buy one or maintain your gym equipment.
