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What Causes Sudden Shock In The Heart While Sleeping?

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Posted on Sat, 6 Jun 2015
Question: what does it mean when you have shocks in your heart while you sleep? The shocks are so powerful that your body jerk so hard that you wake up. I take sleep medication because I am on a Bi-pap for sleep apnea and I am on oxygen therapy . I have a oxygen tank and oxygen concentrator for my home use. i would like to know what the shocks mean. I do have nitroglycerine for my heart.
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Answered by Dr. Ilir Sharka (53 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
I would explain as follows:

Detailed Answer:

Hello!

Thank you for asking on HCM!

Regarding your concern, I would like to explain that the most appropriate terminology for your condition would be attack, or chest pain.

So, if you have experienced a sudden chest pain, or any other similar complains, that is chest discomfort, we generally speaking about that, say "it was something like a heart attack, or a chest pain", etc.

"Shock", when speaking about heart issues, is used generally to describe two conditions:

(a) "Electrical shock" is used to described a therapeutic procedure aiming to convert certain dangerous cardiac arrhythmias (atrial fibrillation, ventricular fibrillation or tachycardia, etc).

(b) "cardiogenic shock" is used to described a progressive and seriously life-threatening condition, where the heart has undergone very severe injuries, leading consequently to a very low cardiac performance and general suffering of all body tissues.

Returnig to your complains, I would recommend you to consult a cardiologist, if that chest discomfort seems to occur again, for a comprehensive check up (physical exam and a resting ECG, additional tests if necessary), to rule out any possible cardiac implications.

Nitroglycerin should be used cautiously, and under doctor advise, avoiding a potential hypotenstion.

Hope to have been helpful. Greetings! Dr. Iliri
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
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Answered by
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Dr. Ilir Sharka

Cardiologist

Practicing since :2001

Answered : 9539 Questions

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What Causes Sudden Shock In The Heart While Sleeping?

Brief Answer: I would explain as follows: Detailed Answer: Hello! Thank you for asking on HCM! Regarding your concern, I would like to explain that the most appropriate terminology for your condition would be attack, or chest pain. So, if you have experienced a sudden chest pain, or any other similar complains, that is chest discomfort, we generally speaking about that, say "it was something like a heart attack, or a chest pain", etc. "Shock", when speaking about heart issues, is used generally to describe two conditions: (a) "Electrical shock" is used to described a therapeutic procedure aiming to convert certain dangerous cardiac arrhythmias (atrial fibrillation, ventricular fibrillation or tachycardia, etc). (b) "cardiogenic shock" is used to described a progressive and seriously life-threatening condition, where the heart has undergone very severe injuries, leading consequently to a very low cardiac performance and general suffering of all body tissues. Returnig to your complains, I would recommend you to consult a cardiologist, if that chest discomfort seems to occur again, for a comprehensive check up (physical exam and a resting ECG, additional tests if necessary), to rule out any possible cardiac implications. Nitroglycerin should be used cautiously, and under doctor advise, avoiding a potential hypotenstion. Hope to have been helpful. Greetings! Dr. Iliri