They numb your throat for a Transesophageal Echocardiogram (TEE), a type of heart stress test, to suppress your gag reflex and minimize discomfort when a thin ultrasound probe is passed down your esophagus for clearer heart images. This local anesthetic, often lidocaine, makes it easier to swallow the probe and helps you stay calm, allowing for better views of the heart structures.
You will get medications before the test to make you calm and numb your throat. But you may still feel like gagging. You may have a sore throat for a day or two after the test.
The average time on a treadmill for a stress test varies by age, but most people last between 6–12 minutes. Younger, healthier individuals tend to exercise longer, while older adults or those with heart conditions may stop sooner. The test is safe and helps doctors understand your heart's health.
Post-Procedure Care and Recovery
Other than intravenous injections, the nuclear stress test procedure is painless. Reports of side effects or significant discomfort are rare. You may feel a slight pinprick sensation during the injection of the radiotracer into the vein.
It means that the test detected abnormalities that may require further investigation to determine the underlying cause. Abnormalities can include changes in your heart's electrical activity, decreased blood flow to the heart, or the presence of symptoms like chest pain or shortness of breath.
An exercise stress test is designed to find out if one or more of the coronary arteries feeding the heart contain fatty deposits that block a blood vessel 70 percent or more. Additional testing is often required to confirm the test result.
Stress testing is essential because many cardiac conditions, particularly coronary artery disease, may be undetectable at rest but manifest under stress. By increasing heart rate and blood pressure, stress tests reveal abnormalities in blood flow, heart rhythm, or electrical conduction that are otherwise hidden.
Your target heart rate during a stress test depends on your age. For adults, the maximum predicted heart rate is 220 minus your age. So, if you're 40 years old, the maximum predicted heart rate is 220 – 40 = 180.
A nuclear stress test is a more detailed version of the standard exercise stress test. Instead of just measuring your heart's response to exercise, this test takes a closer look at blood flow.
Images of the heart are taken with a gamma camera at rest and after stress, each image taking about 15 – 20 minutes. Duration of Test: ~4 hours (although images only take 15 – 20 minutes each, the exercise or stress portion takes another 20 – 30 minutes, and there is a mandatory “wait time” between images).
The test begins with a 10% incline/grade and 1.7mph pace. After 3 minutes, the grade increases to 12% and the speed to 2.5mph. The workloads increase every 3 minutes unless arrhythmias or symptoms preclude continuance or until one reaches a predetermined endpoint such as Target Heart Rate or Stage Goal.
Results are available within 24 hours of the test.
For an exercise stress test, you will be asked to walk on a treadmill or ride a stationary bike. You will start slowly, and the exercise gets more difficult as the test progresses. You can use the railing on the treadmill for balance. Don't hang on tightly, as this may skew the results.
Are you scheduled for an exercise stress test? If you are, feeling anxious is entirely normal. The uncertainty of the procedure — coupled with concerns about your health — can leave you feeling on edge. Fortunately, there's no need to stress out about your upcoming stress test.
Your maximum heart rate is about 220 minus your age. In the age category closest to yours, read across to find your target heart rates. Target heart rate during moderate-intensity activities is about 50-70% of maximum heart rate. During vigorous physical activity, it's about 70-85% of maximum.
An IV is started in your arm before your treadmill stress test. A chemical called an isotope (radioactive substance) will be put in the IV during the test. The isotope sticks to your blood cells and will help show images of your heart and how much blood gets into your heart muscle.
The test can show the size of the heart's chambers, how well the heart is pumping blood, and whether the heart has any damaged or dead muscle. Nuclear stress tests can also give doctors information about your arteries and whether they might be narrowed or blocked because of coronary artery disease.
A STRESS ECHO HAS LESS FALSE NEGATIVE AND FALSE POSITIVE RESULTS ACROSS THE SPECTRUM AND IS DEFINITELY BECOMING THE TEST OF CHOICE AMONGST CARDIOLOGISTS and GP's.
On average, the cost of a cardiac stress test without insurance can range from $200 to $5,000. According to Turquoise Health, the average cost of a cardiac stress test is around $450.
Our nuclear medicine experts analyze the images and send a report to the doctor who ordered the test. Will I be radioactive after a nuclear medicine scan? Yes, you will be radioactive after a nuclear medicine scan. But we use such small amounts of radiotracers that you will not be radioactive within a day.
Your healthcare professional may recommend a stress test if you have symptoms of coronary artery disease or an irregular heartbeat, called an arrhythmia. A stress test can help: Decide what treatment is needed. Show how well heart treatment is working.
Less than 5 METS is poor, 5–8 METS is fair, 9–11 METS is good, and 12 METS or more is excellent.
Trained healthcare providers, typically an exercise physiologist and a cardiologist, are present during your test in the rare event that you have a complication. They assess your performance, data and symptoms throughout the tests and immediately provide emergency treatment if it's needed.
While the Treadmill ECG remains a valuable and accessible screening tool, particularly in patients with a lower risk of heart disease, the Stress Echocardiogram provides more detailed information—especially in selected patients—by evaluating heart structure, function and the presence of significant blockages.
Normal systolic and diastolic responses to exercise stress testing should not exceed 220 and 100 mm Hg, respectively. Systolic blood pressure of >230 mm Hg is generally considered hazardous.