Is it sinus arrhythmia?

[EavlynnK]

I'm 17 and I was in school when I started having chest pain. It happens pretty often, but this was the worst. It hurt really bad. After lunch I went to my chem class and went to lie down on the floor while the class watched a segment on tv. I thought lying down would help me. When I went to sit up, I got so dizzy that I fell back down. It was 25 - 30 minutes before I could get up. The pain lasted for an hour and a half. I've self diagnosed myself with sinus arrhythmia, but is this normal, or should I be a bit more concerned?

[is_something_wrong]

Sinus arrhythmia is probably not a good word, because the "arrhythmia" implies the condition is a disease, or a diagnosis. It is not.

SA is a normal phenomenon, it should be there.

You cannot get dizzy from SA, in other words, something else must be the problem here. It's not necessarily cardiac related, so I agree a pediatrician is the right place to start. If he find something concerning, he will refer you to a cardiologist (or any other relevant specialist)

I find your self-diagnosing the most worrisome. You should immediately stop doing this. It will, by 99% certainty, give a wrong diagnosis, and worse, you can end up getting severe anxiety, especially when reading cardiology topics, where symptoms "mix" (palpitations and dizziness can be everything from benign, normal phenomenons, to life-threatening arrhythmias) and the only way to tell the difference is being monitored on EKG.

In addition, cardiac symptoms tend to increase with stress and anxiety; if you worry too much, your symptoms will be stronger, making you even more afraid, etc..

Good luck!

[Brooke_38]

I'm sorry to hear that you are stuck between a rock and a hard place with your mom. You could speak to the nurse at school and explain your situation. She could advocate for you and again remind her what your Dr had suggested was the next step for further evaluation.

At 17 you are still considered a child. SA in children is quite normal, and usually has no symptoms and is found coincidently. However, chest pain should never be dismissed or ignored. Please speak to your school nurse if your mom is not willing to listen.

Good luck! Let me know how it works out :)

[Faberan]

Hi-

Getting this checked out by the cardiologist, particularly if your pediatrician suggested it, is the best route, and necessary. Your peace of mind is more important than any inconvenience it may present to those around you. Good luck

[EavlynnK]

My doc told me my heart rate increased when I inhaled and decreased when I exhaled. I researched online and thought it matched me well. At 17 I know it should be diminishing. The odd thing is, it just showed up within the past year or so. I honestly have no idea what it is. My mother won't talk about it with anyone and gets aggravated when I ask her about setting up an appt with a cardiologist, which is what our pediatrician told us we should do.

[Brooke_38]

Hello...

You should avoid "self diagnosis" and should be discussing your symptoms with your parents. An appt for you to see your Pediatrician is my best advice. Secondly, I would advise that you not "surf" the internet in an attempt to diagnose yourself.

Sinus arrhythmia is defined as a slight variation in cycling of the sinus rhythm. Sinus arrhythmia is often somewhat more prominent with fluctuation in the respiratory cycle as heart rate accelerates with inspiration and slows with expiration Sinus arrhythmia is a normal finding in children and young adults and tends to diminish or disappear with age. The symptoms that you mention, don't really coincide with SA...Talk to your parents about this!

Good luck to you!