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Feeling Tightness In Chest, Shortness Of Breath And Heaviness In Head. Proper Diagnosis?

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Posted on Tue, 15 Jan 2013
Question: so i've been to my own doctor 3 times in the last 4 months trying to figure out what wrong with my chest and i can't seem to get to the bottom of it. I had a chest x XXXXXXX and holter monitor test done on my chest. My symtoms are a tightness under both arms and almost in a circular motion through the sternum and the underneath both pecs. i get a weird feeling just below my clavicle in the centre and the in my solar plex area another type of weird feeling. Then i get another weird feeling on the lower part of the middle inside of my left pec. I feel like i can't get a XXXXXXX enough breath sometimes and its almost a slightly laboured breathing pattern. When I cough it gives a slight respite. The very occasionally i get an overwhelming feeling in my left chest as if its a pain or im gonna have a heart attack but never develops further. I had blood tests done which said my heart was ok. Its tense and tight and Im really fed up of it and want to be the way I used to be again. I have over the past 4 months experienced other things such as lightheadedness, reduced concentration and blurrier vision than normal and physical and mental fatigue
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Answered by Dr. Ram Choudhary (11 hours later)
Hi XXXXXXX
Welcome to healthcare Magic!
Three four months time is sufficiently long time I think you should have a solution by now, your work up seems a bit inadequate to me.
The shortness of breath, chest discomfort, uneasiness and a heaviness in head can be caused by a hypertensive episodes, a failing cardiac function, hyper-reactive airways, bronchial asthma, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a respiratory infection of chronic nature or an anxiety state.
Blood tests are poorly sensitive for milder cardiac problems.
I would suggest you to get a blood investigation Complete blood counts, Renal function tests, CRP, ECHO, ECG and review to a physician of your locality for a physical examination. Mean while give a trial to inhalation therapy with levosalbutamol and beclomethasone nebulisation and see if the symptoms respond drastically in 2-3 days, it would be indicative of a respiratory cause if so.
Please put a follow up query with the reports.

I hope the advise would be informative and useful for you.
Take Care!
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Ram Choudhary

Internal Medicine Specialist

Practicing since :2001

Answered : 2270 Questions

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Feeling Tightness In Chest, Shortness Of Breath And Heaviness In Head. Proper Diagnosis?

Hi XXXXXXX
Welcome to healthcare Magic!
Three four months time is sufficiently long time I think you should have a solution by now, your work up seems a bit inadequate to me.
The shortness of breath, chest discomfort, uneasiness and a heaviness in head can be caused by a hypertensive episodes, a failing cardiac function, hyper-reactive airways, bronchial asthma, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a respiratory infection of chronic nature or an anxiety state.
Blood tests are poorly sensitive for milder cardiac problems.
I would suggest you to get a blood investigation Complete blood counts, Renal function tests, CRP, ECHO, ECG and review to a physician of your locality for a physical examination. Mean while give a trial to inhalation therapy with levosalbutamol and beclomethasone nebulisation and see if the symptoms respond drastically in 2-3 days, it would be indicative of a respiratory cause if so.
Please put a follow up query with the reports.

I hope the advise would be informative and useful for you.
Take Care!