Resolved question:
26. Male. Over the past few days I have been having some discomfort on the left side of my chest. My pulse seems pretty steady, (72BPM-80BPM). When I walk around for a while the pain goes away. When I sit still for a while or lay down, it comes back. I'm not having trouble breathing or anything. What could this be? I'm wondering if it is heart related despite the fact that the pain goes away when exertion takes place. Thanks!
Submitted:
4 Days
Category:
Cardiologist
Hello
Thank you for your query at doctorspring.com
The pain that you describe doesn't seem to be angina pectoris.
The pain related to coronary artery disease is more on exertion and relieved by rest.
It is a sensation of heaviness or choking or burning. It is vague and may radiate to neck and jaw. Your age makes you a low probability candidate for having coronary artery disease
Please get an ecg when you are having pain. A normal ECG will be a confirmation that the pain is non cardiac.
To rule out other causes of chest pain could you please describe the type of chest pain. Like the duration, time of day position in which it occurs, Aggravation by movements of chest, Nature of pain and radiation to other parts of body. You can reply as a followup.
Regards
Dr Vivek Mahajan
DM Cardiology
The pain seems to be associated with anxiety. Also, I am wondering if this is GERD related. I was over indulging in spicy food last week with alcohol. The past three days I have now completed a 3 mile walk in the morning. The pain is gone and I feel fine. This morning I even ran a short bit with no pain. I have altered my diet massively to just salad and no acidic foods. It seems to help. However, when I am sitting still and start to think about my heart, it begins to have discomfort. This seems to be anxiety related as well. What are your thoughts?
Hello
Yes it could very well be related to acid peptic disease. And the anxiety component may exaggerate it. Its good that the pain has disappeared with change in diet. Your age of 26 any ways makes you an extremely low probability candidate for having a coronary artery disease. Plus the fact that you can walk 3 miles without any problem is a reassuring thing. For the time being you could observe for any similar recurrences of pain and the possible factors like diet which may be responsible for it.
So relax and dont worry.
Regards
Dr Vivek Mahajan
DM Cardiology