Could these symptoms be heart related?

[millie9797]

hello,
I am a 39 yr old female:
- 5'6', 137 lbs,
- normal cholesterol, HDL, LDL readings.
- Life-long exerciser, currently two 45-min spinning sessions and a three mile run per week.
- Always had normal blood pressure, approx 100/80.

The past three weeks I have had chest tightness/discomfort in the center of my chest up to my throat and shortness of breath that starts about a half hour after getting up in the morning (I'm fine at night and when I wake up) and seems to increase with physical exertion. As the day goes on, it gets worse and worse, until even talking seems to get me out of breath. I am exhausted at night and don't sleep well, although this is not due to the symptoms, I just seem to keep waking every 2-3 hours. Running or hard spinning also brings on nausea, but it subsides when I slow down. I do not have any flu-like symptoms.

I went to the doctor a few days ago and they took my blood pressure. It was 140/90. She said she thought it was high b/c of anxiety, but didn't retake it later on. She did a physical check: lungs, checked lymph nodes, etc.  She thinks this tightness/shortness of breath is due to bronchial irritation due to continuous sinus drip (I have bad sinuses and have had thick drip for 1-2 mos). She gave me antibiotics and an inhaler just to see if it helps. I have one more day of antibiotics and I do not feel any better. The inhaler does not help.She ordered a chest xray that I had today (so no results yet).

Could these symptoms be related to my heart? She said matter-of-factly that she didn't think it was my heart. How does she know this just from such a simple exam? And what about the high blood pressure? My mother has an at-home monitor and I've taken my pressure a couple times since and when I'm active and walking around it's still 130ish/89. The lowest it was was 118/88, this was after I woke up yesterday. It's the increase in the symptoms with activity that make me think this could be heart-related.

thank you!

Millie

[Cleveland Clinic]

I agree that this is atypical for cardiac chest pain given the nature of the symptoms and your age. However since atypical presentations of common disorders are still fairly common I would suggest a stress test that can help to rule out obstructive coronary disease and at the same time look for any valvular heart disease or systolic dysfunction such as that stemming from dilated cardiomyopathy. In other words I would suggest a stress echocardiogram as suggested above. Well done Rob 008.

[kacFalloutBoy]

Are kids at risk for Angina disease?

[millie9797]

Thanks for the answers. My chest xray results should be in soon, so depending on what they say I'll ask her about the echo. She's my primary care doc and I have to get a referral from her to go to a cardiologist.

Millie

[Rob2008]

find a cardiologist who will give you a stress echo..it's a risk free test that gives lots of info