My daughter is starting kindergarten this fall, too! How exciting! I am sure all will go well with his exam.
My three year old has the tyical sinus arrhythmia and her heart flutters all around. I tell you I don't think I could figure out her heart rhythm if I tried. I don't think I would try, lol
I know adults who have PVCs frequently experience more of them when we're sick, especially with a stomach bug. It's possible. Still, if you're uncomfortable with this - and it sounds as if you are - take the safe route and visit the doctor.
Possibly...but I would still get him checked out. I observed my 4 year old daughter's heart beating strangely while she was sleeping. I myself have cardiac neurosis and don't want her to have it, but her heart really was skipping. I took her to her doctor for a checkup and they said it was pronounced sinus arrhythmia which I understand is really common in kids and especially while sleeping. Don't tell him the checkup is about his heart, just take him and get him checked out by another doctor.
dehydration definatly leaves one prone to tachycardia and palpitations, but your doctor was right when saying that ususally in cases of severe electrolyte problems, you wont have tears or saliva..This doesnt mean the dehydration your son was suffering from wasnt contributing to these issues you're talking about.. With kids its difficult because they can dehydrate incredibly quickly.. if this has made you lose confidence in your doctor, its definatly best to get a new one, nothing is more important than the health of your child.. I recently had the stomach flu as well, while i was on vacation! so i sympathize with your son.. i definatly had tach and palps while i was sick.. hopefully this is just symptomatic of his illness and his recovery.. ide get him to a new doc as soon as possible if not just for the fact that he may still be symptomatic. Fearfactor gave some good advice.
He's been pretty normal until about 3 weeks ago when he got the stomach bug. About two days into it I noticed his heart dancing around. The only way I know that is because of holding him after a puking session! I have NEVER let him know that I thought anything could be wrong with his heart. We went to the doc on day 3 of the bug. I told the nurse and doc OUTSIDE the room that I thought his heart was beating a little different. They listened and said it was okay. On day 5 we went back--by this time he's sooo dehydrated, hasn't eaten or drank anything, can't even get an ice chip to stay down. They say, he's fine, he's crying---he can't be dehydrated. Day 7 (he's had SOME water) we go back and the do a urine dip and find his ketones are so high, we head right to the ER to have some rehydration done. My question for the doc was why wasn't this done earlier??? And then I asked, again outside the room, if he could have damaged anything by being so dehydrated, they said no.
On day 3 though, the first visit to the doc, he had been doing this really heavy exhale thing. I told the doc about it. They said his just tired. Day 5, told them again, again they say he's fine. Day 7 I tell them AGAIN and then it's like an alarm went off. The say that it is called compensatory sighs and that it is a sign on dehydration. DUH!!! Obviously we are changing doctors.
Could his dehydration thing messed up any rhythms?
I would get him checked out. It's entirely likely that he feels these things.
I've had palpitations just about as far back as I remember. My heart beats extremely hard (thank goodness for beta blockers). I could always hear my heart when I was a little kid--it was like footsoldier's marching in my ears.
A work colleague's 7-year old said she felt a "zapping" and was checked out and had WPW syndrome. Her mom is a nurse and kept her cool with her child. She expressed her concern with her friends.
The likelihood is that your son is just fine, but best to find out just as you have planned.
You already know not to unduly alarm him. Your plan is perfect, get a thorough exam from the new doc and don't immediately mention specifically why. It's enough that he was sick with his tummy before and you want to make sure his tummy is completely better with a doctor who may not be as "busy" and will have time to check every little thing. That may be the end of the exams right there.
Our (always overbooked) pediatrician's office entirely missed my son's obvious heart murmur and ectopics. I noticed the ectopics by accident ( he was playing with my wrist monitor and I noticed the audible beeps were not in rhythm) and took him to my GP for a check-up.
There may be further tests and if someone is sticking pads to his chest he's gonna figure it out, so you may want to speak to the doctor/staff about the best way to explain about his heart being checked, in case you have to.
I worked with sick kids for several years and find that they tend to be matter-of-fact. They accept things on faith as long as you accept them too. The little girl with WPW didn't get upset either. Mom stayed calm on the outside through all the testing and mapping and now she's just fine.
My teenaged son is waaay past the age of complete trust in adults and the only thing that bothered him about his tests was the fact that he didn't want to spend his afternoons in doctor's offices. He'd rather have been socializing or on the computer or whatever.
Find out if it's nothing (which is likely) or something which, hard as it may be, you then must take in proportion to it's true implications.
Difficult though I know it is, as you have pointed out, we parents can only afford lose our composure in secret.
Your ideas about this are just right. I think you are a wonderful, responsible parent :-)
A big, big thank you to all of you for replying. My mind has been in overdrive and it really was very comforting to read the responses. I am going to take him to a new doctor, who I have heard will spend an hour with you if you need it, and probably make it about a "kindergarten check up". (He starts in the fall!!)
Thank you all again so much, what a great site!!!
God Bless!!
thats a tough situation you have there...But safety first... His declaration about the sponge sensation when he breathes out, sounds like it may be a sinus arrhythmia? Its great you dont want to give him a heart awareness issue, but it sounds like hes already aware.. ide take him to his primary care physician, and have your son checked out, but i wouldnt tell him hes going because you want the doctor to listen to his heart.. cross that bridge if you have to come to it...
How is he otherwise? Active? Well adjusted?? Surprisingly, alot of children complain of "cardiac" (and when i say cardiac, i mean just in the chest area) symptoms.. i frequently hear of cases where children are saying "my heart hurts"... Children often have growth spurts that affect the chest wall area and leads to benign chest pain, but it sounds like you may actually be dealing with pvc's...The fact that he is getting over the flu may be contributing. good luck and let us know how your son is!!