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Getting Shooting Pain In Heart For Few Seconds. Should I Be Worried?
Question: I occasionally get a shooting pain in my heart that only lasts for a second or so. Should I be worried and what might it be?
Hi XXXXXX,
Thanks for writing in.
I am a qualified and certified cardiologist. I read your question with diligence. Cardiac pain occurs due to mismatch between demand (of the heart) versus supply (of blood by coronary arteries). Typically pain is of two types one is Angina: It is reversible mismatch in favor of demand, typically by exertion and relief by rest. Pain is XXXXXXX squeezing, retro sternal radiating towards neck and left arm. Associated with rapid heart rate, rapid respiratory rate and sweating is usually associated.In exertional angina it is relieved by rest.
Other type of cardiac pain is that of myocardial infarction or heart attack. One has to XXXXXXX two out of three following criteria:
1. Typical pain as described above unrelated to exertion and usually lasting for more than 30 minutes.
2. EKG changes especially in ST segment suggestive of myocardial ischemia. Or changes occurring and changes called dynamic ST changes.
3. Associated with elevation of myocardial enzymes creatine phosphokinase myocardial fraction CPK-MB, Troponin T & Troponin I and serum myoglobin are various enzymes measured.
So, you do not have typical chest pain related to heart. About your risk profile for coronary artery disease I will write a list for you, as you have not provided enough input to assess your risk.
At any age, following is the list of risk factors for future development of Coronary Artery Disease. Let me enumerate and you can place yourself the risk you are carrying ('*' means you have the risk factor, '+/-' means I do not know and about others - you know better, I take them as absent):-
A: MODIFIABLE RISK FACTORS
Diabetes +/-
Hypertension+/-
Smoking+/-
Stress+/-
Obesity and Sedentary Life Style+/-
High Bad Cholesterol and Lipid Component +/-
Total Cholesterol above 190 mg%, LDL above 130 mg%, VLDL above 40 mg%,
Triglycerides above 150 mg%, Apolipoprotein B above reference value
Low Good Cholesterol and Lipid Component: +/-
Apolipoprotein a below reference range for the lab and
HDL below 40 mg% for man & and 50 mg% for woman
B: NON MODIFIABLE RISK FACTORS
Family History 0f Coronary Heart Disease +/-
Increasing age+/- or *
Being a Man (as opposed to women) till the age 45-
If you have any question for me I shall be happy to answer. Good Luck.
With Best Wishes
Dr Anil Grover,
Medical Specialist & Cardiologist
M.B.;B.S, M.D. (Internal Medicine) D.M.(Cardiology)
http://www/ WWW.WWWW.WW
Thanks for writing in.
I am a qualified and certified cardiologist. I read your question with diligence. Cardiac pain occurs due to mismatch between demand (of the heart) versus supply (of blood by coronary arteries). Typically pain is of two types one is Angina: It is reversible mismatch in favor of demand, typically by exertion and relief by rest. Pain is XXXXXXX squeezing, retro sternal radiating towards neck and left arm. Associated with rapid heart rate, rapid respiratory rate and sweating is usually associated.In exertional angina it is relieved by rest.
Other type of cardiac pain is that of myocardial infarction or heart attack. One has to XXXXXXX two out of three following criteria:
1. Typical pain as described above unrelated to exertion and usually lasting for more than 30 minutes.
2. EKG changes especially in ST segment suggestive of myocardial ischemia. Or changes occurring and changes called dynamic ST changes.
3. Associated with elevation of myocardial enzymes creatine phosphokinase myocardial fraction CPK-MB, Troponin T & Troponin I and serum myoglobin are various enzymes measured.
So, you do not have typical chest pain related to heart. About your risk profile for coronary artery disease I will write a list for you, as you have not provided enough input to assess your risk.
At any age, following is the list of risk factors for future development of Coronary Artery Disease. Let me enumerate and you can place yourself the risk you are carrying ('*' means you have the risk factor, '+/-' means I do not know and about others - you know better, I take them as absent):-
A: MODIFIABLE RISK FACTORS
Diabetes +/-
Hypertension+/-
Smoking+/-
Stress+/-
Obesity and Sedentary Life Style+/-
High Bad Cholesterol and Lipid Component +/-
Total Cholesterol above 190 mg%, LDL above 130 mg%, VLDL above 40 mg%,
Triglycerides above 150 mg%, Apolipoprotein B above reference value
Low Good Cholesterol and Lipid Component: +/-
Apolipoprotein a below reference range for the lab and
HDL below 40 mg% for man & and 50 mg% for woman
B: NON MODIFIABLE RISK FACTORS
Family History 0f Coronary Heart Disease +/-
Increasing age+/- or *
Being a Man (as opposed to women) till the age 45-
If you have any question for me I shall be happy to answer. Good Luck.
With Best Wishes
Dr Anil Grover,
Medical Specialist & Cardiologist
M.B.;B.S, M.D. (Internal Medicine) D.M.(Cardiology)
http://www/ WWW.WWWW.WW
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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