I had a heart attack on in September. I remember getting very bad back pain between the shoulder blades and no matter what I did the pain would not go away. I tried lying down, Advil etc. I was writhing in pain. It was a kind of pain I never felt before. Now I have always had a bad back and back pain but never like this. I go to the ER and it turned out that I had a heart attack and I needed bypass surgery (6 blockages). I've been going to my cardiologist on a regular basis and everything is fine so far, but every time I get pains in my back I begin to worry and drive my wife crazy.
Published: July 22
I have been a 50 year lifelong diabetic with a few complications. So in April when I started having indigestion pain between my shoulder blades and a clammy sweating feeling with no relief from anything that I tried, I started to be concerned. I also had a feeling of dread and doom and didn't know why. This occurred late one night and I made an appointment with my PC doctor early the next day, who dismissed it as GERD and sent me home to take Protonix. Luckily I was right next to the hospital and asked my Mom to take me over there because something wasn't right in the way I felt. I still had a normal EKG, but blood enzymes showed that I was experiencing a heart attack. I had a triple by-pass in 1998 but no heart attack, only blockages.
After the weird symptoms and a diagnosis by the ER physician, I spent 12 days in CCU and another week on a heart monitored floor and finally a heart cath which couldn't be done immediately because of my taking ASA and Plavix and also being anemic. This was done a week after admission for the heart attack. Now I'm scared at every little symptom and don't know what to believe. My point is, don't IGNORE any symptom that is unusual for you.
Comment from: Sparkie, 65-74 Female (Patient)Published: March 04
I had pain in my right arm around 4 a.m. and got back to sleep and woke to more pain about 6 a.m. This time, the pain was moving to my underarm, then to my chest. By 9 a.m., I got to the hospital. At 10 a.m., I still didn't think it could be a heart attack, but a blood test proved I had a heart attack. By 6:30 p.m., I had a stent put in and was back in my room by 10:30 p.m. Stents are great.
Comment from: jreagan1626, 45-54 Female (Patient)Published: November 29
I am a 54 year old woman. Because I do not have health insurance, I did not seek treatment when i had hard heavy pain in the middle of my checst of and on for days. I treated it with antacids as if it was heartburn. I finally had a massive frontal heart attack, with two stints. i now am very ill, the stints are collapsing and I have signed a do not resusitate order since I do not have the money or health insurance to stay alive. I hope there are not more people in my situation, knowing you are going to die because you can not afford open heart surgery or even get any more testing due to lack of job and funds.
Comment from: rlc, (Patient)Published: November 29
I'm a 45-year-old male and had a heart attack Nov. 6, 2008. I have had two lower back disks ruptured and was confusing the pain between my shoulders as transferred muscle tension. On the morning of the 6th, I went to work and was sitting at my desk when the pain in my chest and between my shoulders became extreme. EMS was called and about 30 minutes later, I was in the ER going straight into surgery to have a blockage ballooned. I now have three stents and am feeling an ache in the chest and sharp twinges in the chest. I will have more tests run next week.
Comment from: tcujo89, 35-44 Male (Patient)Published: November 18
I am a 37-year-old female who recently suffered a heart attack in September. The night before I had what I thought was heartburn, but when I got up in the morning, it had not eased up. Within two hours, I had a severe burning-type cramp in my left chest that radiated down my left shoulder and into my left jaw. Upon seeking emergency medical help, I was told it was a heart attack.
Comment from: montcolady, 55-64 Female (Patient)Published: September 11
I had tremendous left arm pain and went to the E.R. only to be told it was bursitis. I was given a shot for pain and put into a sling. I had no shortness of breath or chest pain. I am a 57 year old woman and nobody even suggested doing tests or consulting with a Cardiologist. Five days later I had a heart attack and had emergency quadruple bypass surgery!
Comment from: Upinthehillz, 45-54 Male (Patient)Published: August 21
I'm a 51 year-old-old male. The morning I had my heart attack, I felt tired, as if I had the flu or a cold. Then the sweats came and with more activity, I felt worse. Then came the stabbing pain in my left arm, along with dizziness, and the feeling of not being able to function. I called 911, and when they got there, they said I was gray in color.
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Low blood pressure, also referred to as hypotension, is blood pressure that is so low that it causes symptoms or signs due to the low flow of blood through the arteries and veins. Some of the symptoms of low blood pressure include light-headedness, dizziness, or even fainting if not enough blood is getting to the brain. Diseases and medications can also cause low blood pressure. When the flow of blood is too low to deliver enough oxygen and nutrients to vital organs such as the brain, heart, and kidneys; the organs do not function normally and may be permanently damaged.
Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a condition in which the heart's function as a pump is inadequate to meet the body's needs. A poor blood supply resulting from congestive heart failure may cause the body's organ systems to fail, leading to a weakened heart muscle and fluid accumulation in the lungs and body tissue. There are many diseases that can impair pumping efficiency and symptoms of congestive heart failure including fatigue, diminished exercise capacity, shortness of breath, and swelling. Treatments include lifestyle modifications, medications, heart transplant, and therapy.
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a repeatedly
elevated blood pressure exceeding 140 over 90 mmHg -- a systolic pressure above
140 with a diastolic pressure above 90. There are two causes of high blood pressure, primary and secondary. Primary high blood pressure is much more common that secondary and its basic causes or underlying defects are not always known. It is known that a diet high in salt increases the risk for high blood pressure, as well as high cholesterol. Genetic factors are also a primary cause. Secondary high blood pressure is generally caused by another condition such as renal hypertension, tumors, and other conditions. Treatment for high blood pressure is generally lifestyle changes and if necessary, diet.
Blood clots can occur in the venous and arterial vascular system. Blood clots can form in the heart, legs, arteries, veins, bladder, urinary tract and uterus. Risk factors for blood clots include high blood pressure and cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, and family history. Symptoms of a blood clot depend on the location of the clot. Some blood clots are a medical emergency. Blood clots are treated depending upon the cause of the clot. Blood clots can be prevented by lowering the risk factors for developing blood clots.
Panic attacks are sudden feelings of terror that strike without warning. These episodes can occur at any time, even during sleep. A person experiencing a panic attack may believe that he or she is having a heart attack or that death is imminent. The fear and terror that a person experiences during a panic attack are not in proportion to the true situation and may be unrelated to what is happening around them. Most people with panic attacks experience several of the following symptoms: racing heartbeat, faintness, dizzyness, numbness or tingling in the hands and fingers, chills, chest pains, difficulty breathing, and a feeling of loss or control. There are several treatments for panic attacks.
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic condition characterized by high levels of sugar (glucose) in the blood. The two types of diabetes are referred to as type 1 (insulin dependent) and type 2 (non-insulin dependent). Symptoms of diabetes include increased urine output, thirst, hunger, and fatigue. Treatment of diabetes depends on the type.
An arrhythmia is an abnormal heart rhythm. With an arrhythmia, the heartbeats may be irregular or too slow (bradycardia), to rapid (tachycardia), or too early. When a single heartbeat occurs earlier than normal, it is called a prmature contraction.
A stroke results from impaired oxygen delivery to brain cells via the bloodstream. A stroke is also referred to as a CVA, or cerebrovascular incident. Symptoms of stroke include: sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg. Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding. Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes, sudden trouble walking, dizziness, or loss of balance, and/or sudden severe headache with no known cause. A TIA, or transient ischemic attack is a short-lived temporary impairment of the brain caused by loss of blood supply. Stroke is a medical emergency.
Angina is chest pain that is due to an inadequate supply of oxygen to the heart muscle.
Angina can be caused by coronary artery disease or spasm of the coronary
arteries. EKG, exercise treadmill, stress echocardiography, stress thallium, and cardiac
catheterization are important tests used in the diagnosis of angina.
Palpitations are unpleasant sensations of irregular and/or forceful beating of the heart. Palpitations can be relieved in many patients by stress reduction, stopping cigarettes, and reduction of caffeine and alcohol.
Cholesterol is naturally produced by the body, and is a building block for cell membranes and hormones. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is the "bad" cholesterol, conversely, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is the "good" cholesterol. High cholesterol treatment includes lifestyle changes (diet and exercise), and medications such as statins, bile acid resins, and fibric acid derivatives.
Dementia is a significant loss of intellectual abilities such as memory capacity, severe enough to interfere with social or occupational functioning. There are different criteria classification schemes for dementias such as cortical, subcortical, progressive, primary, and secondary dementias. Other conditions and medication reactions can also cause dementia. Dementia is diagnosed based on a certain set of criteria. Treatment for dementia is generally focused on the symptoms of the disease.
Fainting, also referred to as blacking out, syncope, or temporary loss of consciousness has many causes. Often a person will have signs or symptoms prior to the fainting episode. Diagnosis and treatment depends upon the cause of the fainting or syncope episode.
Depression is an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts and affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way one feels about oneself, and the way one thinks about things. The principal types of depression are major depression, dysthymia, and bipolar disease (also called manic-depressive disease).
Chest pain is a common complaint by a patient in the ER. Causes of chest pain include broken or bruised ribs, pleurisy, pneumothorax, shingles, pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, angina, heart attack, costochondritis, pericarditis, aorta or aortic dissection, and reflux esophagitis. Diagnosis and treatment of chest pain depends upon the cause and clinical presentation of the patient's chest pain.
Toothache usually refers to pain around the teeth or jaws. In most instances, toothaches are caused by tooth or jaw problems, such as a dental cavity, a cracked tooth, an exposed tooth root, gum disease, disease of the jaw joint (TMJ), or spasms of the muscles used for chewing. A toothache can also be caused by a problem that does not originate from a tooth or the jaw, like diseases of the heart (angina or heart attack), ear infections, and sinus infections. A thorough oral examination, which includes dental X-rays, can help determine the cause.
Polycythemia (elevated red blood cell count) causes are either primary (aquired or genetic mutations) or secondary (diseases, conditions, high altitude). Treatment of polycythemia depends on the cause.
Epilepsy is a brain disorder in which the person has seizures. There are two kinds of seizures, focal and generalized. There are many causes of epilepsy. Treatment of epilepsy (seizures) depends upon the cause and type of seizures experienced.
Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) are premature heartbeats originating from the ventricles of the heart. PVCs are premature because they occur before the regular heartbeat. There are many causes of premature ventricular contractions to include: heart attack, high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, mitral valve prolapse, hypokalemia, hypoxia, medications, excess caffeine, drug abuse, and myocarditis.
Heart rhythm disorders vary from minor palpitations, premature atrial contractions (PACs), premature ventricular contractions (PVCs), sinus tachycardia, and sinus brachycardia, to abnormal heart rhythms such as tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, ventricular flutter, atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT), Wolf-White-Parkinson syndrome, brachycardia, or heart blocks. Treatment is dependant upon the type of heart rhythm disorder.
Heart disease (coronary artery disease) is caused by a buildup of cholesterol deposits in the coronary arteries. Risk factors for heart disease include smoking, high blood pressure, heredity, diabetes, peripheral artery disease, and obesity. Symptoms include chest pain and shortness of breath. There are a variety of tests used to diagnose coronary artery disease. Treatment includes life-style changes, medications, procedures, or surgery.
Myofascial pain syndrome is muscle pain in the body's soft tissues due to injury or strain. Symptoms include muscle pain with tender points and fatigue. Treatment usually involves physical therapy, massage therapy, or trigger point injection.
Obesity is the state of being well above one's normal weight. A person has traditionally been
considered to be obese if they are more than 20 percent over their ideal weight.
That ideal weight must take into account the person's height, age, sex, and
build.
High blood pressure (hypertension) means high pressure (tension) in the arteries. Treatment for high blood pressure include lifestyle modifications (alcohol, smoking, coffee, salt, diet, exercise), drugs and medications such as ACE inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, beta blockers, diuretics, calcium channel blockers (CCBs), alpha blockers, clonidine, minoxidil, and Exforge.
Pericarditis is the inflammation of the pericardial sac that surrounds the heart. The causes of pericarditis include injury from heart attack, heart surgery, trauma; viral or fungal infection, HIV, tumors, mixed connective tissue disease, metabolic disease, medication reactions, or idiopathic. Treatment for pericarditis is generally medication, however, sometimes surgery is necessary.
Smoking is an addiction. More than 430,000 deaths occur each year in the U.S. from smoking related illnesses. Secondhand smoke or "passive smoke" also harm family members, coworkers, and others around smokers. There are a number of techniques available to assist people who want to quit smoking.
A heart murmur is the sound generated when blood flow within the heart is not smooth. Causes of heart murmurs can be functional, congenital, or caused heart valve conditions. Symptoms of a heart murmur may be none, or may include chest pain, shortness of breath, and arm, leg, and ankle swelling. Treatment of a heart murmur depends on the cause.
Coma is the inability to waken or react to the surrounding environment. The Glasgow Coma Scale is frequently used to measure the depth of coma. Causes of coma include trauma, bleeding, edema, lack of oxygen, poisoning, or hypoglycemia. Prognosis for a patient in a coma depends on the cause of the coma.
When a portion of the brain loses blood supply, through a blood clot or embolus, a transient ischemic attack (TIA, mini-stroke) may occur. If the symptoms do not resolve, a stroke most likely has occurred. Symptoms of TIA include: confusion, weakness, lethargy, and loss of function to one side of the body. Risk factors for TIA include vascular disease, smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. Treatment depends upon the severity of the TIA, and whether it resolves.
If you think you have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately.
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I had a heart attack on in September. I remember getting very bad back pain between the shoulder blades and no matter what I did the pain would not go away. I tried lying down, Advil etc. I was writhing in pain. It was a kind of pain I never felt before. Now I have always had a bad back and back pain but never like this. I go to the ER and it turned out that I had a heart attack and I needed bypass surgery (6 blockages). I've been going to my cardiologist on a regular basis and everything is fine so far, but every time I get pains in my back I begin to worry and drive my wife crazy.