Being healthy is important, and the key to being healthy is to listen to our bodies for signs of discomfort or illness.
Dr. Diana Bitner, a nationally recognized menopause specialist from Spectrum Health, not only talks about the importance of physical health, but also takes steps to make sure she's in good health.
Watch Dr. Bitner take the Exercise Stress Test, and see how well she's following her own medical advice.
The stress test only takes about an hour, and only requires about 10 minutes of exercise.
First the cardiologist took pictures of her heart, looking at the functions and structures for any signs of abnormality.
Afterwards the nurses had Dr. Bitner run on a treadmill so they could take her maximum predicted heart rate. Typically it takes an average of eight to ten minutes for the heart to reach its maximum heart rate.
Once the heart reaches its maximum heart rate, the nurses had Dr. Bitner quickly lie down. The cardiologist then proceeded to take more pictures of the heart, then compare it to the pictures taken before exercise.
She got her results back a couple days later, and of course, they were perfect! There were no EKG changes, and she had a good strong heart muscle that indicated no damage or likely blockage of blood vessels.
Dr. Bitner recommends that if people have induced chest pain or exercise induced fatigue during exercise, it's a good idea to take the test to see if anything is wrong with the heart. If the test is not something that you're interested in trying, start with baby steps by eating healthy and a little bit of exercise every day.
Dr. Bitner's office is located at 3800 Lake Michigan Drive Northwest, Suite A. To schedule an appointment with her, call (616) 267-8225.
