Okay, my mind is preoccupied 24/7 by the thought that something is wrong with my heart and I'm going to have a heart attack, or something along those lines.
I guess I need to explain the symptoms that I experience that make me feel this way. For example, lately I've had a feeling of great pressure in the center of my chest, between my breasts. And then yesterday, well actually Thursday night, I started having pains above my left breast, where you can feel your heart beat. Friday morning the pain started getting worse, in that exact spot, and by mid-day on Friday the pains were that of the stabbing/shooting kind, and it totally freaked me out, to the point where I wondered if I should go to the ER. Instead, I planned on going to the walk-in clinic after work to get things checked out, but by 3pm the pains subsided and eventually went away. And then today (Saturday) I still have that pressure in the center of my chest, but (thankfully) not the stabbing pain by my heart.
I check my blood pressure quite frequently, at those little blood pressure checkers they have at Walmart and such, and it's usually very normal. The last time I had my cholesterol checked, which would have been about a year ago, it was near perfect.
So my first question is, can you have a heart attack with normal blood pressure? That's just something I always wonder. I just don't understand heart attacks, which leads into my next question, can anyone here explain what a heart attack is exactly and what it feels like?
I'm 29, and yes I know that I'm young and shouldn't really be worrying about this, but my father had his first heart attack when he was 31 and died of his second heart attack at 54.
I'm looking for help and answers. Thanks in advance.
Have Many Questions, Would Like Help/Answers
31 is deff young to have a heart attack. i'm guessing there were prior heart problems or something to have lead to this.
i'm not sure what one feels like, but, i've heard it feels like an elephant sitting on your chest, also sharp pains. pain shooting up your left arm, and down from your jaw towards your heart. but basically, you cannot have a 5 day long heart attack, lol. if this was a heart attack, you woulda had it when the pain started.
trust me though, i know what its like to worry about this. i'm only 25, and i use my fiances stethescope (sp?) all the time to listen to my heart. i also have perfect blood pressure and cholestorol. i get some pain and fluttering and stuff in my chest, but, i've pretty much learned its my anxiety. still doesn't stop me from listening, but it stops me from the ER trips.
i'm sorry i can't give more info on the heart itself and what a heart attack is, but, i would just be going to google and wikipedia. from what i've heard, and, basically seen on TV, lol, you know if your having a heart attack. i would try and relax because when i get worried for a long enough time, i get tense. tension causes muscle spasms and pain. if you hold your stress in your chest, its very possible to have your chest muscles get painful. i know anxiety sufferers shouldn't run to the ER every time they feel a lil thing here and there, but i believe you being 29 with your father having his first heart attack at 31 would be a justified visit to your primary care doctor though. i would guess your father had prior heart problems, stress, smoking, etc, so i wouldn't worry too much. but, i'm sure a trip to the Dr would ease your mind. he can do an EKG for you in his office, maybe do some blood work, and just ease your mind. best of luck to you
i'm not sure what one feels like, but, i've heard it feels like an elephant sitting on your chest, also sharp pains. pain shooting up your left arm, and down from your jaw towards your heart. but basically, you cannot have a 5 day long heart attack, lol. if this was a heart attack, you woulda had it when the pain started.
trust me though, i know what its like to worry about this. i'm only 25, and i use my fiances stethescope (sp?) all the time to listen to my heart. i also have perfect blood pressure and cholestorol. i get some pain and fluttering and stuff in my chest, but, i've pretty much learned its my anxiety. still doesn't stop me from listening, but it stops me from the ER trips.
i'm sorry i can't give more info on the heart itself and what a heart attack is, but, i would just be going to google and wikipedia. from what i've heard, and, basically seen on TV, lol, you know if your having a heart attack. i would try and relax because when i get worried for a long enough time, i get tense. tension causes muscle spasms and pain. if you hold your stress in your chest, its very possible to have your chest muscles get painful. i know anxiety sufferers shouldn't run to the ER every time they feel a lil thing here and there, but i believe you being 29 with your father having his first heart attack at 31 would be a justified visit to your primary care doctor though. i would guess your father had prior heart problems, stress, smoking, etc, so i wouldn't worry too much. but, i'm sure a trip to the Dr would ease your mind. he can do an EKG for you in his office, maybe do some blood work, and just ease your mind. best of luck to you
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Ok, I've gone through this a bit myself. My heart actually does skips beats once in a while and at first that was freaking me out. A heart attack happens when parts of your heart muscle don't recieve blood. So at 29 with normal colesterol, and normal weight, non smoking, it's very unlikely your having a heart attack. I used worry about this while I was out riding my bike.One time I was mountain biking, I was out in the middle of nowhere on top of this huge hill I just rode up. I thought I was going to pass out, chest pain, couldn't breath all that...to much coffee is what it was. I wound up riding around another 20 miles that day. So if you can find the reasons in your mind why it's not a heart attack, instead of "what if" thinking, you'll feel much better.
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My brother passed away at the age of 28 from a massive coronary ( Heartattack ) but your symptoms dont sound nothing like his and a heart doctor told me a womens heartattacks signs are different than a amans a womens heartattack sigs are pains shoting all the way through to the back from the front of the chest to the back and she will have severe heartburn feelings and heavy chest pains when my brother pased away with his heart attack he was saying it feels like a elephant seting on my chest and he went to sweating really bad his whole shirt and hair was very wet with sweat but we didnt worry about it much we told him it was anxiety and to go lay down and cool off a bit he said the chest pains nver would go away and they were sharp shuting pains coming and going really fast we checked his bp it was in normal range 130/85 pulse was fast at a 100 we alked away he let out a scream and closed his eyes and he was gone the doctor told use he was in a heartattack main signs is sweating severely and pain the doctor said your bp can be normal or a little elevated but to have a heartattack its just the lack of blood getting to the heart and it could be a blocked artiery which sometimes does not cause a raise i blood pressure but it does raise the heart rate
Hello Lisa,
First off I need to introduce myself. I am a Registered Respiratory Therapist, member of our rapid response team for code blues and a American Heart Association certified CPR instructor and a EMT. Okay, now for some answers. Your heart skipping is usually what is called a PVC or premature ventricular contraction. Meaning your heart contracts on the bottom first instead of the top. It happens to everyone and usually the result of out of whack electrolytes due to dehydration or over hydration, anxiety, stimulants such as caffeine, nicotine and so on. To a lessor extent heart problems. Now due to your fathers history that gave me pause. History is one of the best predictors and must not be ignored. I do every EKG that comes through my ER. Believe me people we are not alone. At least a half a dozen people come in a night with chest pains with perfect EKG's. This sounds so silly that I am there to help people with this problem on the medical side and here I am trying to get myself straight. haha. Its all in the head!!!!! My thoughts to be perfect and with my sudden reality check a few years back has gotten me to rock bottom. More about you though. I do not want to give misguided advice. There are instances where some people have silent heart attacks. Typically the females have jaw pain but not all. Shortness of breath and so on. My professional advice is to confer with your doctor, have an EKG done, an echocardiogram if still uncertain, explain family history, have blood work done and then go from there. Everyone needs a little reassurance to form a baseline. Ive done a few EKG's on myself in the early days too. Remember the WHAT IFS? You need to get those out of your head! I hope this helps you make the right decision. Truly RRT2007
First off I need to introduce myself. I am a Registered Respiratory Therapist, member of our rapid response team for code blues and a American Heart Association certified CPR instructor and a EMT. Okay, now for some answers. Your heart skipping is usually what is called a PVC or premature ventricular contraction. Meaning your heart contracts on the bottom first instead of the top. It happens to everyone and usually the result of out of whack electrolytes due to dehydration or over hydration, anxiety, stimulants such as caffeine, nicotine and so on. To a lessor extent heart problems. Now due to your fathers history that gave me pause. History is one of the best predictors and must not be ignored. I do every EKG that comes through my ER. Believe me people we are not alone. At least a half a dozen people come in a night with chest pains with perfect EKG's. This sounds so silly that I am there to help people with this problem on the medical side and here I am trying to get myself straight. haha. Its all in the head!!!!! My thoughts to be perfect and with my sudden reality check a few years back has gotten me to rock bottom. More about you though. I do not want to give misguided advice. There are instances where some people have silent heart attacks. Typically the females have jaw pain but not all. Shortness of breath and so on. My professional advice is to confer with your doctor, have an EKG done, an echocardiogram if still uncertain, explain family history, have blood work done and then go from there. Everyone needs a little reassurance to form a baseline. Ive done a few EKG's on myself in the early days too. Remember the WHAT IFS? You need to get those out of your head! I hope this helps you make the right decision. Truly RRT2007
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To me it sounds like anxiety. The more you focus on your symptoms the worse they are going to seem. The reason it may have subsided is because you told yourself you were going to a place that could help you. If you really feel the need, then by all means go to a doc and get checked out, so you have a peace of mind about it. Try to calm yourself, try to put your focus on something peaceful and soothing, tell yourself, "this is just anxiety, it can not hurt me, i will give it no power, i am peaceful, i am calm, i am in control." Try this, you may have to repeat it 50 times, but it works, i promise.
Cheri {8^) keep looking up ~!~ BLESSED ARE THE CRACKED FOR THEY LET IN THE LIGHT
'Never allow someone to be your Priority while allowing yourself to be their Option'.
"What you are is God's gift to you, and what you do with what you are is your gift to God" Too Blessed to be Stressed!!! May Grace and Mercy be multiplied to you.
Lord Help me to Finish Strong - COLOSSIANS 1:10-12
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%207&version=AMP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DasqYiQK7HQ
'Never allow someone to be your Priority while allowing yourself to be their Option'.
"What you are is God's gift to you, and what you do with what you are is your gift to God" Too Blessed to be Stressed!!! May Grace and Mercy be multiplied to you.
Lord Help me to Finish Strong - COLOSSIANS 1:10-12
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%207&version=AMP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DasqYiQK7HQ
hey!! Well first an formost i want to say this hole scary Bs your having is anxiety hunny when mine all startedwitch was almost a year ago thats what started with me ...Everything you just said ,it was like at first i thought mabe i have asma. or somthing but no every day i woke up my chest was tight my breathing was low it freaked me right out but you see havng aheart attack its there an it DOSe not go away for that time being ,,an u cannot move what s ever see with us we could just be walking an get that wierd feeling wake up have it all day be finre in the midle of the day an have it at night but i just want to say thats how it all started for me ...an i think its all anxiety crap i know it sucks but im here to say from exp. it wil pass just like everything else hey when u get like that take a hot bath ,,,,you wont even Feel it.. that what i always did. 
Hi Lisa,
The sharp stabbing pains you're describing sounds like gas pains, especially since the pain comes and goes. It happens to me all the time. It scares me as well. The pressure in the center of your chest sounds a lot like anxiety but I know that doesn't make you feel any better. Considering your age, blood pressure and cholesterol levels, you are at low risk for cardiac problems. Your father having a heart attack at 31 only plays a part on you if you have made or begin to make unhealthy lifestyle choices (and it sounds like you don't)or if he had a heart defect that is heriditary. What lead to your father's heart attack? High cholesterol? High blood pressure? Smoking? Obesity? All of the above? I'm sure by now your doctor is aware of your family history and would have suggested lifestyle changes and/or medication if he felt you were at risk but it's still worth telling him about this pain and pressure. Hope you're feeling better.
Celeste
The sharp stabbing pains you're describing sounds like gas pains, especially since the pain comes and goes. It happens to me all the time. It scares me as well. The pressure in the center of your chest sounds a lot like anxiety but I know that doesn't make you feel any better. Considering your age, blood pressure and cholesterol levels, you are at low risk for cardiac problems. Your father having a heart attack at 31 only plays a part on you if you have made or begin to make unhealthy lifestyle choices (and it sounds like you don't)or if he had a heart defect that is heriditary. What lead to your father's heart attack? High cholesterol? High blood pressure? Smoking? Obesity? All of the above? I'm sure by now your doctor is aware of your family history and would have suggested lifestyle changes and/or medication if he felt you were at risk but it's still worth telling him about this pain and pressure. Hope you're feeling better.
Celeste