Chest pain right in the heart area!!!!

[frankguillenjr]

I'm a 27 yr old male, I am 5'11" and weight 175. I have been having a pain on the left area of my chest for more than a month, I went to the doctor and they did an X-ray for my lungs and I'm GUESSING my heart and arteries and also an EKG, both came out normal.  I dont' feel the pain when I exercise or move around, it just comes whenever it wants and last only for a couple of seconds and goes away. I don't get them everyday or every other day anymore, but I am getting them every 3 days or 4, maybe because my doctor prescribed me Naproxen Sod 550mg. What I am wondering is if the EKG and chest X-ray show blocked arteries, and if it's possible for a healthy weight 27 yr old male to have a heart attack? I have been really stressed about this because I get scared, I even feel depressed.

[grendslori]

It would be highly unlikely for you, at your age, to be having a heart attack. It takes years for plague to build up in the arteries. Chest pain due to heart disease is not located over the left side of the chest. People tend to think this because they know that the heart tips over the left side of the chest and then they assume it's the heart. Sometimes people with cardiopmyopathies will have chest pain, but they usually do not have this symptom until the disease is advanced to the point they KNOW they have heart disease. X-rays are done to see if the heart is enlarged (cardiomyopathy) or if there is fluid around the heart (pericarditis). Blocked arteries are diagnosed through having a cath done in the cath lab. An echo is done to check the wall's ability to contract properly, how the valves are functioning and if there are any problems with blood flow through the chambers. The EKG shows the rhythm of the heart and if there are any irregularities in the heart beat itself. It will also show if the person has damaged walls due to cardiomyopathies as well as if a person has had, or is having a heart attack; during a stress test, it will also show if the heart walls are not getting enough oxygen.  

[frankguillenjr]

Well today I went to go get some blood work and I have to pick up the results tommorrow. They are going to run another test which checks if the heart is damaged, I forgot what it's called though but I will post my levels tommorrow, Thanks for your quick respose.

[Encephalomalcia]

If you get chest pains that last 30 minutes, then it could be a heart attack.  If the chest pains are only lasting a few seconds it could be angina or it could be that your ribs are out of alignment.  You can see a chiropractor to see if this is the problem.  Usually, if it's angina, an aspirin will help relieve the pain.  The Naproxen should also be thinning your blood, but is not good for the heart or kidneys.  Naproxen is an anti-inflammatory medication, so I am questioning if you have arthritis or have had an injury.  The EKG will show if there are any problems with the rhythm of your heart, which happens after a heart attack.  The lung x-ray will not show any blocked arteries.  To find out if you have blocked arteries, you will need an angiogram, which is a kind of surgical procedure.  A stress test usually is advised first to find out if the blood is circulating or pumping through the heart as it should.  If the arteries are blocked, it could show up on the stress test and echocardiogram afterwards to check the heart valves.  Do you have any family history of heart disease?  Know your cholesterol levels, so get some blood work done to check your LDL, HDL, and triglycerides.  Know your blood pressure.  If you have any blocked arteries, normally the blood pressure would go up.  Take care and try not to worry.