What Are the Risks of Echocardiography?

Transthoracic and fetal echocardiography (echo) have no risks. These tests are safe in adults, children, and infants.

If you have a transesophageal echo (TEE), some risks are associated with the medicine given to help you relax. These include a bad reaction to the medicine, problems breathing, or nausea (feeling sick to your stomach).

Your throat also might be sore for a few hours after the test. Rarely, the tube used during TEE can cause minor throat injuries.

Stress echo has some risks, but they're related to the exercise or medicine used to raise your heart rate, not to the echo. Serious complications from stress tests are very uncommon. Go to the Diseases and Conditions Index Stress Testing article for more information about the risks of that test.