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What Causes Strange Sensation In The Upper Chest Below The Clavicle?
Question: I am 59, female, overweight, non smoker. Lately when I walk fast, I get the strangest sensation in my left upper chest, above the breast, below the clavicle. It's not pain it's like a growing burp. As soon as I stop walking it goes away. I seem to have skipped heartbeats associated with it. Should I go to ER?
Brief Answer:
Does not look like a cardiac symptom but needs evaluation
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Welcome.
This is Dr Sameer, cardiologist.
Localized pain is rarely cardiac, but as you are saying that the feeling occur after exercise & exertion, it needs evaluation.
Cardiac pain is a sense of heaviness in chest which is non localized (it is diffused) & increase after exercise & exertion and decrease on rest.
So To rule out cardiac cause of this sensation, I'll advice you for a test called Stress Echo, which is a wonderful test to rule out risk of cardiac disease. If that is negative, than their is minimal risk of cardiac disease.
Coming to missed beat on exercise, it can happen normally due to Sinus arrhythmia (change in heart rhythm with respiration) or due to PVC's(abnormal contraction from a normal part of heart). I will recommend you to a ECG & again the test here to rule out cardiac cause is Stress Echo.
So all you need to do is a Stress Echo to be assured that there is no underlying cardiac cause. Being overweight, I'll also recommend you for a Lipid profile to see for cholesterol levels.
Wishing you a healthy life.
Thanks & take care
Does not look like a cardiac symptom but needs evaluation
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Welcome.
This is Dr Sameer, cardiologist.
Localized pain is rarely cardiac, but as you are saying that the feeling occur after exercise & exertion, it needs evaluation.
Cardiac pain is a sense of heaviness in chest which is non localized (it is diffused) & increase after exercise & exertion and decrease on rest.
So To rule out cardiac cause of this sensation, I'll advice you for a test called Stress Echo, which is a wonderful test to rule out risk of cardiac disease. If that is negative, than their is minimal risk of cardiac disease.
Coming to missed beat on exercise, it can happen normally due to Sinus arrhythmia (change in heart rhythm with respiration) or due to PVC's(abnormal contraction from a normal part of heart). I will recommend you to a ECG & again the test here to rule out cardiac cause is Stress Echo.
So all you need to do is a Stress Echo to be assured that there is no underlying cardiac cause. Being overweight, I'll also recommend you for a Lipid profile to see for cholesterol levels.
Wishing you a healthy life.
Thanks & take care
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
Answered by
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