Deeply concerned about health of heart

[Tentpoles]

I'm a 17 year old male of reasonable fitness (BMI of 21.0) and generally good health. For several years I've held concerns over the state of my heart, but only recently have those concerns really begun to preoccupy me.

My most obvious/common symptoms are shortness of breath and a fast, pounding heartbeat - it's not uncommon for the beating of my heart to be visible through my clothing and on my belly. In recent times I've also been experiencing dull, temporary pain in the left hand side of my chest (though there has also been a little on the right) in addition to sporadic aches in my left forearm and the underside of my left wrist in particular. I should also mention the seemingly random pains (of some intensity) I've been getting in my abdomen - this usually comes with a bit of gas but does not require a visit to the loo.

I’ve had other things like a crackling in my chest (only really noticeable when sitting/lying down) and a tremor (esp. clear in hands) for a long time, but I’m not sure if they’re related to the other stuff.

Within the last 6 months or so I’ve seen doctors at two separate hospitals who’ve done things like an ECG, blood test, 24 hr monitor and chest x-ray for me but have found nothing too untoward. The doc who did the blood test said something about my thyroid function being a tad abnormal but wasn’t overly concerned – I’ve done research on hyperthyroidism but don’t know what to think.

Even though I’ve been told I shouldn’t worry, these symptoms really are a concern for me – things like anxiety, allergies etc, just don’t seem to fit the bill. My body keeps telling me there’s something wrong.

Sorry about the long-windedness of all this, I’m just desperate to get to the bottom of it all. I once felt so bad that I had to go the Emergency ward, but felt better pretty soon afterwards – don’t know what to make of that. Apart from saying that my symptoms aren’t made worse by fairly strenuous exercise, I think that’s about it.

Any advice would be massively appreciated.

[Tentpoles]

Thanks to both of you who've replied, especially is_something_wrong. I am, unfortunately, quite an anxious person in general, but have been reluctant to recognise this as the cause of my symptoms. Maybe I should.

I'll keep hyperthyroidism in mind if I ever feel it necessary to go to the doctor again, but for the moment it's probably best to assume that my symptoms are mostly (if not entirely) psychological. The wikipedia article on Da Costa's syndrome sure made for some interesting reading.

[is_something_wrong]

Hi Tentpoles,

I can fully understand that you are concerned about this.

Your symptoms are very common and unspecific (they can be caused by almost everything). I  believe I'm right when telling you that a bit anxious people (you, me) feel that their anxiety problem is drawn "out of the hat" a bit quick, the doctor explains all your symptoms by anxiety, when you're feeling it different. The relevant fact is, by the way, that anxiety can manifest in so many ways (not just the shivering, restless, banging your head against the wall feeling that is classical). It can produce muscle tightness, exercise intoleranse, heavy heart beats, breathlessness, rapid heart rate, depression, more anxiety, chest pain, dizziness, lightheadedness, gastrointestinal discomfort, you name it.

Some facts:
If you are 17 years old, you can forget about angina, heart attacks, etc. I don't think anyone at the age of 17 ever have got angina. Even if you are living extremely unhealthy (drugs, smoking, BMI 35+, etc) this is almost impossible. Your challenge is to forget about those diseases.

Angina pain is not located to the left of your chest. It's located in the middle. So is your heart. It's a myth that your heart is located to the left. It's located in the centre, slightly to the left.

To your visible heart rate and abdominal pain: Yes, some people get what's called a dilated aorta (or an aneurysm, that is the medical term). This happens almost only in people 60+ and I would forget about that too. If your doctor suspected this, he would do an ultrasound of your aorta - this only takes a minute. Again, this doesn't happen if you're 17 years old.

Strong heart beats (whatever causes them) is actually a good sign, that your heart is able to pump large amounts of blood - the opposite of heart failure.

I believe all your chest and arm pain is caused by tense muscles, either outside of, in, or under your chest wall. It can spread out to your arms and hands.

The only thing I would "worry" about (if worry is a correct term, because it's easily treated) is your hyperthyreoidism, as this condition can cause all symptoms you refer to. Ask your doctor about it and get it treated if necessary.

Your symptoms are classical to what is/was called "cardiac neurosis" or "da Costas syndrome" (I've got this myself). And it's amazing what symptoms worrying about your heart can cause.

[r9c]

Hi,i think u had enough test on ur heart that its okay, are those test done by a cardiologist? Regarding palpitation,do u have any anxiety issue,in my opinion if one are too concern about their heart and this can lead to more health anxiety