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Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
Re: EKG
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Re: EKG
by CCF Cardio MD - MTR, Jan 01, 1995 12:00AM
Posted By CCF CARDIO MD - MTR on July 23, 1998 at 13:41:44:
In Reply to: EKG posted by Gloria Randolph on July 22, 1998 at 20:13:27:
My mother,89yrs,has had no history of heart disease and has low blood pressure. Over the last year she has had noticeable swelling in her feet and some shortness of breath. In the last two or three months she experiences heavy sweating when she does minimal tasks. She has had an Echo..no sign except a "thick heart"...blood gases(low but medication/oxygen not prescribedl. Would an EKG help or is the Echo sufficient for diagnosis.? She also has phlegm in throat..clearing it often.
Thanks.
Dear Gloria, thank you for your question. Your mother has a common condition
seen in elderly persons called diastolic dysfunction of the left ventricle.
Over many years, the heart muscle of the main pumping chamber (left ventricle)
thickens and becomes stiff and non-compliant. Even though the heart still
contracts (beats) normally, the thick muscle prevents the heart from relaxing
sufficiently to receive blood from the lungs. Congestive heart failure develops
as a result because blood backs up into the lungs. Your mother sounds like
she's suffering from heart failure now with swollen legs, shortness of breath,
and fatigue. An ECG doesn't add to the Echo findings, but would be useful
to determine what your mother's heart rhythm is. An abnormal heart rhythm could
make your mother's condition worse. There are certain medications that would
help to relieve your mother's symptoms, so you should ask her physician about
forms of medical treatment. Since your mother is 89, I would advocate doing
whatever can be done medically to make her feel better, but I wouldn't advocate
any invasive tests that would be painful and wouldn't help much with her
management. I hope you find this information useful.
Information provided in the heart forum is for general purposes only. Specific
diagnoses and therapies can only be provided by your physician.
In Reply to: EKG posted by Gloria Randolph on July 22, 1998 at 20:13:27:
My mother,89yrs,has had no history of heart disease and has low blood pressure. Over the last year she has had noticeable swelling in her feet and some shortness of breath. In the last two or three months she experiences heavy sweating when she does minimal tasks. She has had an Echo..no sign except a "thick heart"...blood gases(low but medication/oxygen not prescribedl. Would an EKG help or is the Echo sufficient for diagnosis.? She also has phlegm in throat..clearing it often.
Thanks.
Dear Gloria, thank you for your question. Your mother has a common condition
seen in elderly persons called diastolic dysfunction of the left ventricle.
Over many years, the heart muscle of the main pumping chamber (left ventricle)
thickens and becomes stiff and non-compliant. Even though the heart still
contracts (beats) normally, the thick muscle prevents the heart from relaxing
sufficiently to receive blood from the lungs. Congestive heart failure develops
as a result because blood backs up into the lungs. Your mother sounds like
she's suffering from heart failure now with swollen legs, shortness of breath,
and fatigue. An ECG doesn't add to the Echo findings, but would be useful
to determine what your mother's heart rhythm is. An abnormal heart rhythm could
make your mother's condition worse. There are certain medications that would
help to relieve your mother's symptoms, so you should ask her physician about
forms of medical treatment. Since your mother is 89, I would advocate doing
whatever can be done medically to make her feel better, but I wouldn't advocate
any invasive tests that would be painful and wouldn't help much with her
management. I hope you find this information useful.
Information provided in the heart forum is for general purposes only. Specific
diagnoses and therapies can only be provided by your physician.
