If you’re battling heart issues or are suspected of having a heart condition, your medical practitioner may order an array of tests. But what’s their purpose and what should you expect when going for a heart checkup Singapore?
Today, we offer a guide to the various noninvasive tests your doctor may order, including what they are designed to do. Read on below to uncover more!
Enchocardiogram
This type of test uses sound waves to produce images of your heart. It allows your physician to see how your heart is beating and blood is moving through your heart. If this test is recommended during your heart checkup Singapore, then it will help identify various abnormalities in the heart muscle and valves.
An echocardiogram can be done while you’re at rest or with exercise to elevate your heart rate. The essence of doing this test during your heart checkup Singapore is to determine the cause of a heart murmur, check the function of heart valves, or even assess the overall function of the heart.
Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)
This type of test measures the electrical activity of the heartbeat to provide two kinds of information. First, by measuring time intervals on the ECG, a doctor can determine how long the electrical wave takes to pass through your heart. Determining how long a wave takes to travel from one part of the heart to the next shows if the electrical activity is normal, slow, fast or irregular.
Secondly, by measuring the amount of electrical activity passing through your heart muscle, a cardiologist is perfectly positioned to find out if parts of the heart are too large or overworked. The thing with an ECG test is that it helps monitor changes in heart rhythm, determine if a heart attack has occurred, and helps predict if a heart attack is developing.
Tilt Test
There’s also the tilt test, often used to determine why you feel faint or lightheaded. During the test, you lie on a table that is slowly tilted upward. The tilt test measures how your blood pressure and heart rate respond to the force of gravity. A technician or nurse keeps track of blood pressure and heart rate to see how they change during the test. This test assesses dizziness or fainant spells, and helps identify heart rhythm changes.
Of course, there is a lot more you should expect during a heart checkup Singapore.
