History

• Stress tests are generally administered to diagnose coronary heart disease or to monitor the severity of a heart problem.
  
  

Function

• Stress tests are performed on a treadmill or stationary bicycle while the patient---connected to a heart-monitoring system---exercises.
  
  

Identification

• Chest pains, a lack of proper blood flow to the heart and shortness of breath may indicate you need a stress test of your heart.
  
  

Considerations

• If you have a medical condition that prevents you from exercising, you may be administered a pharmacological stress test. The doctor administers medication to make your heart work harder and faster in order to monitor it under duress.
  
  

Warning

• Heart attack or death may occur during a stress test, though this happens in only one in 5,000 patients.
  
  

Potential

• Common side effects of a stress test that are less serious include abnormal heartbeat and dizziness caused by low blood pressure; it can last several hours. Side effects from the pharmacological stress test can be wheezing or severe asthmatic symptoms.