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Chest Pain, What could be wrong?

For the past three days now, ive noticed ive had pain on the left side of my chest. It isn't what I would call severe, but is intermittent and kind of sharp. It seems like it primarily happens at night.
I am a pretty healthy person. Im only 18, making me think a heart attack is very unlikely, I am a normal height of 5'4" and weigh about 130-35. I try to eat healthy and exercise almost every evening (not too hard of a work out, but I jog or rollerblade for a few miles). I have never drank, smoked, or done drugs. Although I often have a small glass of wine with dinner because I read it is healthy.
I unfortunately suffer from pretty severe anxiety, paranoia, and hypochondriac. I also have a phobia of doctors. To give you an insight to how severe, I can say I often worry if I will even wake up the next day. In my head, ive probably have had every illness in the book. My first thought was that im going to die and I have congestive heart failure. So when I get the chest pain, I immediately start panicking. I even wonder if it is caused by my anxiety since I read that anxiety can cause chest pain.
I have a family history of mitral valve prolapse. My mom grandma and aunt all had it around my age. They all say that they had the same kind of pain in the exact same place that I have it. My family also has a history of high blood pressure. No one in my family has had a heart attack.
Because I am unfortunately too afraid to see a regular physician, I go to a naturalist. my last visit was about a year ago id say. The test they do showed that I have healthy cholesterol, and zero heart problems. The only issues were that I had a slightly underactive thyroid in which has been corrected through a simple dietary supplement.
Any ideas on what the problem is?
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Avatar universal
Thank you for your response! I will look into an echocardiogram, however because of my anxiety I am constantly worried im going to have heart failure or a like problem. Even though it seems almost impossible for a person of my age and fitness to have such problems (heart attacks), I cant seem to get it through my head that im not going to die. As absolutely ridiculous as this sounds, I am almost afraid to go to sleep because im afraid I wont wake up.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hey MxGrl

Thank you for a detailed description of your problem. It is hard to give you an accurate diagnosis over the Internet without meeting you in person but I will try to give you some helpful pointers.

You have obviously recognized that you are too young to develop a  major heart problem. Heart attack is caused by an obstruction in the coronary artery,  but generally occurs in older age groups. The pain associated with a blocked coronary artery is generally constant, it occurs with exertion, and is generally described as heaviness or pressure.
Your pain is atypical for coronary artery disease.  Mitral valve prolapse is generally an asymptomatic condition and may lead to leakage in the mitral valve in midlife or older life.
if you are indeed concerned about mitral valve prolapse in your self, I would suggest that you follow up with the cardiologist and talk about an echocardiogram with your doctor. This test would conclusively tell you if you indeed have that condition.
from the description of your problems, it is hard to ascribe any of the symptoms to heart disease but I would still advise you to see a cardiologist for  reassurance.

Hope that helps

CCFHeartMD19
Helpful - 0

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