If your doctor wants you to have a Stress Echocardiogram, you will have the same test as exercise stress testing, except that when your heart rate reaches a certain number you will be asked to step off the treadmill and lie down.

How it works?
Echocardiography uses high–frequency sound waves (also called ultrasound) that can provide a moving picture of your heart. The sound waves are delivered through the body with a wand–like device called a transducer. The sound waves bounce off of the heart and return to the transducer as echoes. The echoes are converted into images on a television monitor to produce a one, two, or three dimensional picture of your heart.

What to expect?
After your heart has reached a certain rate during exercise on the treadmill, you will be asked to lie down on an examination table. Next, the technician will put a thick gel on your chest. The gel may feel cold, but it does not harm your skin. Then the technician will use the transducer to send and receive the sound waves.

The transducer will be placed directly on your chest, above your heart. The technician will press firmly as he or she moves the transducer across your chest. You may be asked to breathe in or out or to briefly hold your breath during the test. But, for most of the test, you will lie still.