Stress Echocardiogram

A regular echo looks at your heart at rest.

A stress echo compares:

• Your heart at rest
• Your heart right after stress (exercise or medication)
• This helps doctors spot problems that only show up when your heart is working harder.

There are two main ways to “stress” your heart. At Orange County Heart, we only perform exercise stress echo:

1. Exercise stress echo

• You walk on a treadmill
• Your heart rate increases
• As soon as you stop, the technician quickly takes ultrasound images

A stress echo helps detect:

• Blocked or narrowed arteries (linked to coronary artery disease)
• Areas of the heart not getting enough blood during exertion
• How well your heart muscle and valves perform under strain

• During exercise: similar to a brisk workout (increased heart rate, breathing faster)
• With medication: you may feel your heart racing or pounding briefly
• The ultrasound part itself is still painless

• About 45–60 minutes total

• Chest pain or shortness of breath during activity
• Evaluating your risk of heart disease
• Checking how well treatments are working