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Heart, Brain, Or Lung Issue?
30 year old male, 180 pounds. Currently have good blood work and good cholesterol, but have a past of being overweight and eating terribly.
About a month ago I started feeling a sense of air hunger. While at rest, I felt I wasn't getting enough air unless I took a deep breath. Upon analyzing it more, it actually feels like my left lung is not pulling in enough air, but my right lung feels fine.
Not long after noticing this, I started having weird episodes where my heart would pound HARD in my chest. Not fast, but so hard that I could feel every pulse point on the left side of my body throbbing. Sometimes it would wake me up at night, sometimes it would prevent me from sleeping, and at one point it lasted for about a week straight. Vitamin supplements seemed to make the pounding lessen and helped my heart get back to normal.
Having never experienced anything like this, I had some heart tests done. Chest X-ray was normal. EKGs normal. Echo normal. However, I did have a 48 hour holter monitor that showed sinus bradycardia. The lowest heart rate recorded was 31, with the average in the 50s. I do cardio daily, but this still seems frighteningly low to me. I'm also not sure if it's normal, as I've never had my heart tested before.
A month has gone by, and here are the symptoms I'm left with:
- Fluttering sound in my left ear
- Feeling that my left lung is not pulling in enough oxygen
- Lightheadedness that seems concentrated in the left front of my head
- Trouble concentrating
- Waking up with both hands numb, even though I haven't slept on them (poor circulation?)
- Fatigue, usually in the middle of the day or after exercise
I have no idea if this is a heart issue, a brain issue, or a lung issue. The doctors just think I'm nuts, especially since all the discomfort stems from one side of my body. Could this all be brought on by the bradycardia?
I have another doctor's appointment on Monday, but at this point I have no idea what to tell them. They don't seem at all concerned about my heart, but I'm wondering if some sort of blockage or blood clot could cause all these issues. I haven't had a stress test or any sort of CT scan done. Could that be helpful?
About a month ago I started feeling a sense of air hunger. While at rest, I felt I wasn't getting enough air unless I took a deep breath. Upon analyzing it more, it actually feels like my left lung is not pulling in enough air, but my right lung feels fine.
Not long after noticing this, I started having weird episodes where my heart would pound HARD in my chest. Not fast, but so hard that I could feel every pulse point on the left side of my body throbbing. Sometimes it would wake me up at night, sometimes it would prevent me from sleeping, and at one point it lasted for about a week straight. Vitamin supplements seemed to make the pounding lessen and helped my heart get back to normal.
Having never experienced anything like this, I had some heart tests done. Chest X-ray was normal. EKGs normal. Echo normal. However, I did have a 48 hour holter monitor that showed sinus bradycardia. The lowest heart rate recorded was 31, with the average in the 50s. I do cardio daily, but this still seems frighteningly low to me. I'm also not sure if it's normal, as I've never had my heart tested before.
A month has gone by, and here are the symptoms I'm left with:
- Fluttering sound in my left ear
- Feeling that my left lung is not pulling in enough oxygen
- Lightheadedness that seems concentrated in the left front of my head
- Trouble concentrating
- Waking up with both hands numb, even though I haven't slept on them (poor circulation?)
- Fatigue, usually in the middle of the day or after exercise
I have no idea if this is a heart issue, a brain issue, or a lung issue. The doctors just think I'm nuts, especially since all the discomfort stems from one side of my body. Could this all be brought on by the bradycardia?
I have another doctor's appointment on Monday, but at this point I have no idea what to tell them. They don't seem at all concerned about my heart, but I'm wondering if some sort of blockage or blood clot could cause all these issues. I haven't had a stress test or any sort of CT scan done. Could that be helpful?
something else to consider about diet, do you consume lots of caffeine? this can cause
your symptoms also.
your symptoms also.
judging by the tests, symptoms etc, it would appear that doctors feel whatever it is will
probably pass. Your chest x-ray was normal which means your lungs are fine. There is
no collapsed lung, no fluid in the lungs and no fluid in the chest cavity. When you are
short of breath, I fail to see how you can tell which lung is ineffective when they work as
a pair. I think you are too worried about what can be wrong and you will end up being a
hypercondreact (probably spelt wrong). How fit are you in general? do you exercise for
30 minutes every single day? do you smoke? do you drink lots of alcohol? do you eat a
healthy diet? Simple infections can cause light headedness and weakness/shortness of
breath. It will probably pass but you need to stop getting anxious because that will make you ill long term.
probably pass. Your chest x-ray was normal which means your lungs are fine. There is
no collapsed lung, no fluid in the lungs and no fluid in the chest cavity. When you are
short of breath, I fail to see how you can tell which lung is ineffective when they work as
a pair. I think you are too worried about what can be wrong and you will end up being a
hypercondreact (probably spelt wrong). How fit are you in general? do you exercise for
30 minutes every single day? do you smoke? do you drink lots of alcohol? do you eat a
healthy diet? Simple infections can cause light headedness and weakness/shortness of
breath. It will probably pass but you need to stop getting anxious because that will make you ill long term.
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