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What Is The Cause Of Mild Chest Pain With Breathing Difficulty ?
A friend of mine has been having a mild chest pain in the left side of his chest. It s a light pain and very infrequent. When the pain happens he has trouble breathing . He says he can feel his heart beat in his stomach and when he hits his chest it stops. He s had it for a while now, maybe a couple of years. I m worried and is visiting a doctor soon. But what do you think it is?
Fri, 6 Apr 2012
Hello PartridgeCA,
Thank you for visiting Healthcaremagic.com.
In response to your question regarding your friend's mild chest pain, I would initiate a cardiac workup initially. Primarily this would be the most life-threatening and debilitating illness and must be ruled out.
I would also check for an abdominal anurysm based on symptoms of feeling "his heart beat in his stomach". I cannot explain why his symptoms are alleviated by his actions. He may be lucky that his condition appears stable for a "couple of years". However, if this is cardiac in nature, he cannot expect this condition to continue - it could get worse unexpectedly.
Additionally, his symptoms could be benign and just represent a bad case of indigestion.
In any case, it is wise to get this checked out.
Be well,
Dr. Kimberly
Thank you for visiting Healthcaremagic.com.
In response to your question regarding your friend's mild chest pain, I would initiate a cardiac workup initially. Primarily this would be the most life-threatening and debilitating illness and must be ruled out.
I would also check for an abdominal anurysm based on symptoms of feeling "his heart beat in his stomach". I cannot explain why his symptoms are alleviated by his actions. He may be lucky that his condition appears stable for a "couple of years". However, if this is cardiac in nature, he cannot expect this condition to continue - it could get worse unexpectedly.
Additionally, his symptoms could be benign and just represent a bad case of indigestion.
In any case, it is wise to get this checked out.
Be well,
Dr. Kimberly
I find this answer helpful
User's Response
Dr. Neha Vijayakar's
Response
Hi
Please ask your friend to note the time when his pains start- whether they begin after some strenuous physical activity, after food, after some emotional stress, etc.
If he feels pulsations in his abdomen, it may mean an abdominal aneurysm, although palpable abdominal pulsations are normally witnessed in thin people.
You have not mentioned his age. Regular monitoring of the blood pressure, cardiac stress test monitoring, and a lipid profile, for starters will indicate if there is any cardiac problem.
All the best!
dr.neharv@gmail.com
Please ask your friend to note the time when his pains start- whether they begin after some strenuous physical activity, after food, after some emotional stress, etc.
If he feels pulsations in his abdomen, it may mean an abdominal aneurysm, although palpable abdominal pulsations are normally witnessed in thin people.
You have not mentioned his age. Regular monitoring of the blood pressure, cardiac stress test monitoring, and a lipid profile, for starters will indicate if there is any cardiac problem.
All the best!
dr.neharv@gmail.com
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