Re: Asthma and Heart problems

Posted By CCF Cardio MD-SGM on June 02, 1998 at 15:28:11:

In Reply to: Asthma and Heart problems posted by Dan on May 30, 1998 at 23:31:38:






Dear Doctor,
I am writing to find out answers about my wife's condition.  She is a 24yo
with a family Hx of Congenital Heart Disease (Uncle and Grandmother?), both
dying in their thirties.  She also has been diagnosed with Asthma for almost
four years.  We have live in Florida, Texas and California since then without
any change in her asthma (currently in Texas).  It may be a little worse in
Texas, she has been admitted to the hospital twice (brochitis,sinusitis,
asthma).  While in the hospital she is pumped up with all kinds of asthma
meds (salumedral IV, asthmacort, albuterol, serevent, alcolate and several
otheres).  After a day of this she starts complaining of chest pain.  
She does a lot of coughing but I don't think it costrochondritis sp?
The doctor switches the medicine but the chest pain still persists.  
He has also ordered an echocardiogram.  The only other cardio problem
she has had was a heart murmer during her first pregnancy (when she
was first diagnosed with asthma) What is your opinion in what is going on
with her heart?  What is the echo for?  What kind of questions can I
ask the pulmonologist to get the answers
my wife needs?



________


Dear Dan,
Although there is some degree of hereditary influence in congenital heart disease, it is very unlikely that your wife has any serious disorder of her heart that hasn't been detected until this time.  The murmur during pregnancy is normal, and the fact that she did well (I assume) through the pregnancy is another excellent sign that she has no serious heart disease.   More likely, the chest pain is due to coughing and congestion from the asthmatic exacerbation.
Depending on the results of the examination and the ECG, an echocardiogram might be useful to definitively rule out any significant disorder of the heart.   I would simply ask the doctor whether the echo showed anything concerning.  I would be surprised if it does, and expect that the test will reassure you that the chest pain is not coming from the heart.
Information in the Heart Forum is for general purposes.  Specific diagnoses and therapies can only be provided by your physician.