A little pain and numbness

[MsDarcy]

I am a 36 year old female, no kids, a high school English teacher.  I find my job rather stressful.  Lately I have been having off and on numbness in my left arm - it feels warm and sometimes tingly.  This is occasionally accompainied by some dull pain in my chest.  This is not entirely new to me - over the last 8 years whenever I have become stressed at work I have experienced similar symptoms. About 8 years ago, when this happened for the first time, I saw a doctor who gave me an EKG and found nothing.  

Is it normal to experience these symptoms when under stress?

[chreves]

I am having a bunch of numbness.. pain, with tightness..  not really chest pain..  but I am also having some itchyness around my left side of my chest (this is all on my left side)..  and my back has been being numb..  I don't know what is going on with me.  It has been doing this for days now.

[CCF-M.D.-KE]

Dear MsDarcy,

You have been experiencing numbness and tingling in your left arm associated with occassional dull chest pain. The numbness and tingling in your left arm could possibly represent compression of a nerve to that area. However, the most serious potential cause, the heart, needs to be evaluated. You should schedule an appointment with your doctor who will most likely evaluate your blood pressure, along with obtaining an ECG and a stress test. I would recommend a visit sooner than later.


Thanks for your question,


CCF-MD-KE