Aa
how dangerous is a dental abscess to the heart?
i havent been to a dentist in 10 years because i have a blood phobia and i have had many tooth abscesses. this last one is really bothering me. i have to take about 1600 mg of ibuprofen and 1000 mg of tylenol to keep the pain away. i feel like crap,i have flu like symptoms. body aches,chest tightness and fatigue..but i am concerned about my heart health here. i have posted a lot on this forum about my cardiac problems. my electrical system of my heart is really messed up. i have had transient LBBB,RBBB and first degree AV block. also voltage criteria for LVH. when i went to the pharmacy to get some more pain killers,my b/p according to the machine was 188/108 with a pulse of 120. right now,after sitting and watching tv and relaxing for 3 hrs. my blood pressure is 132/97 with a pulse of 138. can someone here tell me if i am doing damage to my heart with this abscess? my vital signs are not too good and i feel like i have the flu. i do not want to go to the emergency room and i can't go to the dentist because i am really afraid of blood. will this abscess go away by itself?? thanks guys.
Hello, I know this is a fairly old post but I am currently under a heart specialist but they are unable to diagnose anything even after 3 ECGs, chest x-rays etc. and my BP is elevated at times. I have a tooth infection that only came about because my back tooth fell out at a couple of days ago, although I have an appointment tomorrow,, I wondered if you ever had your problems diagnosed as mine a very similar?
Hi there!
yes, dental problems can result in damage to the heart. Moreover, untreated infections, can be very, very, serious and result in numerous complications including death. You have dangerously high BP which may or may not be related to infection. You absolutely need to be seen asap.
I too have a dental phobia and there are things that can be done - sedation (Medications you can take before your appointment, nitrous oxide to relax you during the appointment, you can even have a higher level of sedation if needed so you will not be aware of what is going on at all during treatment).
There are many people who have dental phobias. The key is to let the dentist know beforehand so that appropriate steps can be made. I would suggest making some calls asap. To help with your phobia perhaps you can get set up to be seen (urgently!) and discuss treatment options with the dentist. That might help.
Long response short, you need to be seen urgently and there are lots of options available that will help you get through treatment. If you do not get help asap, you will likely end up in hospital and will be poked and prodded more than you could imagine possible. Please seek help now before it gets to this level.
Take care and please keep us updated.
yes, dental problems can result in damage to the heart. Moreover, untreated infections, can be very, very, serious and result in numerous complications including death. You have dangerously high BP which may or may not be related to infection. You absolutely need to be seen asap.
I too have a dental phobia and there are things that can be done - sedation (Medications you can take before your appointment, nitrous oxide to relax you during the appointment, you can even have a higher level of sedation if needed so you will not be aware of what is going on at all during treatment).
There are many people who have dental phobias. The key is to let the dentist know beforehand so that appropriate steps can be made. I would suggest making some calls asap. To help with your phobia perhaps you can get set up to be seen (urgently!) and discuss treatment options with the dentist. That might help.
Long response short, you need to be seen urgently and there are lots of options available that will help you get through treatment. If you do not get help asap, you will likely end up in hospital and will be poked and prodded more than you could imagine possible. Please seek help now before it gets to this level.
Take care and please keep us updated.
thanks for the advice. i phrased it wrong,i have had about 6-7 different ekgs since last july and each one showed different problems. one showed rbbb..a month later another one showed first degree av block w/o the rbbb and another ekg showed just lbbb. my last ekg showed left ventricular hypertrophy. i will go to the dentist just for antibiotics because i am afraid to get it drained because i am scared of blood. but thanks for telling me my heart risk factors.
The answer is very simple here:
Go to the dentist.
I don't understand your post completely, if you had both RBBB and LBBB, you would have a total (third degree) AV block. Anyway, if you have heart conditions (most important with valve diseases, but it applies to all heart conditions), good dental health is important. Your risk of endocarditis and myocarditis (you don't want any of those) is much higher when you have an untreated dental infection.
What I don't understand is why you don't get antibiotic treatment for this (you need that before dental treatment anyway)? Ibuprofen in high doses increases blood pressure, and at 190/110 you are way too high (though I understand this is not your resting BP).
It's better to ask your doctor for some sedatives before going to the dentist, because your condition can be serious and needs treatment.
Go to the dentist.
I don't understand your post completely, if you had both RBBB and LBBB, you would have a total (third degree) AV block. Anyway, if you have heart conditions (most important with valve diseases, but it applies to all heart conditions), good dental health is important. Your risk of endocarditis and myocarditis (you don't want any of those) is much higher when you have an untreated dental infection.
What I don't understand is why you don't get antibiotic treatment for this (you need that before dental treatment anyway)? Ibuprofen in high doses increases blood pressure, and at 190/110 you are way too high (though I understand this is not your resting BP).
It's better to ask your doctor for some sedatives before going to the dentist, because your condition can be serious and needs treatment.
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Heart Rhythm Community
Are there grounds to recommend coffee consumption? Recent studies perk interest.
Salt in food can hurt your heart.
Get answers to your top questions about this common — but scary — symptom
How to know when chest pain may be a sign of something else
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
