Heart Problems at 29

[SarahFromMelbourneFL]

I'm a 29 year old female and I have two heart conditions. I also have orthostatic hypotension. This is a recent diagnosis and I havn't seen my cardiologist yet but will in next few weeks.

Symptoms:

Shortness of breath, ringing in ears, pressure in ears, partially deaf in left ear, light headed, pressure in upper chest when sitting up. All symptoms ease when laying down. Symptoms sometimes worse if I stand up too fast. I have to pee often not sure if that realtes to anything but I intake a lot of fluids to replace whats lost.

I've been tested for thyroid, diabetes, kidney functioning and everythings normal. I do howere have a mild infection and two cysts which have shrunk from taking antibiotics.

I almost fainted three times past two weeks. First sign is ringing in ears, then deafness, then vision loss, then heart beats like humming bird, then wooshing in ears, then breaking out in sweat. After getting IV fluids it has helped this. I've been checked for internal bleeding and thats not it either.

I had an echocardiogram done. They found that I have two problems with my heart. The aorta is narrowing and my mitral valve has regurgitation but is working at 60%.

I have issues with blood volume being low so I intake more fluids like water including gatorade or pedialyte to replace sodium, potassium, and enzymes and I have to wear compression leggings and socks over lower legs to prevent fainting. Sometimes at night when I'm laying down all the sudden my heart will do the humming bird thing and I get dizzy and wearing compression socks slows it down.

I have constant ringing in ears and partially deaf now in left ear. I cant lay down flat and if I do go to sleep I have to lay on my side since heart acts funny when I'm on my back.

This is sudden within the past two weeks all the symptoms and everything. I don't understand why this is happening to me. Please offer advice.

[Kharn8]

I have no answers for you. Just offering some support. It's really scary stuff! I'm on the other end of this, in a way. The doctors say I'm healthy and it's anxiety related (which is a bit hard for me to truly believe. I might have to add rampant stubborness to my charts).

But anyway... Those other two posts seem promising! I'm sure hearing words like "non life threatening," are comforting.

[Al Dente]

Ask about rate drop along with orthostatic hypotension.  I have severe cardiac rate drop with high vagal tone, along with orthostatic hypertension.  My case is complex, and not like many others, but he only treatment was a dual-chamber pacemaker, which prevents me from fainting several times a day.  Don't be afraid to ask questions and push back against physicians that dismiss your condition.

[Ger57]

Hi Sarah,
orthostatic hypotension or hypotension in general is not considered a disease but can give you a lot of symptoms. The continuous or sudden drop in blood pressure causes a shortness of oxygen to the brain what again causes the light headedness and vision loss. It also can cause the shortness of breath. In reaction to this the heart rate increases to compensate for these symptoms.
This is all annoying but normally not dangerous it itself.
A lot of heart patients experience the same as a side effect of their medication. I often have to wait a few seconds when everything has become dark before I can continue again :-)
When the symptoms are so severe that you sometimes faint , it is more dangerous because of the results of the fainting (i.e. hurting yourself when falling down etc).

Mitral valve regurgitation is seen in many people and is categorised as either none,trace,mild, moderate or severe.
60 % seems moderate to me. You should ask your cardiologist about the category you are in.
Moderate regurgitation does normally not need any intervention or lifestyle changes and is monitored 1x/yr with echo to see if it does not get worse. Do not worry too much, it can remain stable for many years (or even life long).

The consequences of the narrowing of the aorta depends on the severity of the narrowing.

The fact that they checked for internal bleeding could mean that you are a bit anemic. Is that the case? Anaemia also causes the shortness of breath, fast heart rate etc.

take care,
Ger