Good afternoon. I have been diagnosed with an Aortic Root dilation and ascending since March 9th 2023, it's been really difficult since then to get on with day to day tasks. Anxiety and panic attacks have been at the top for me. Most of last year it was difficult to go anywhere on my own as I thought I was going to die most days, any sort of pain or tightness in the chest area started things of. At first I didn't know why I was experiencing fast heart rate at first, Jelly legs, tight chest, feeling sick and light-headedness nearly every time I went out, I didn't realise I was suffering from Anxiety disorder or panic attacks, I still suffer from them now especially at night when iam sleeping I attend to jump out of bed gasping for breath and trying to get a drink of water. This has been happening for awhile now. Most fastrating is that I found it difficult to do DIY around the house, anything more than 45mins I start to get lightheaded, feeling sick and tight chest, I have been to the hospital and spoken with a cardiology consultant at SDEC at Darlington to explain what's been going on, I asked his if I had angina but he ruled it out because my symptoms last for 45mins to 60mins. No one has explain when iam feeling these symptoms after doing any kind of DIY work around the house after 45mins.I have to rest for a couple of hours before I can start again. This is really geting me down, I don't know if it is link to stress or it's to do with my Dilation. At the moment the Arotic root is at 41mm and the ascending is at 38mm...I would be greatfull any help I could get with this issue iam having. Thankyou for listening.
Arotic Root dilation and ascending - Atrial Fibrillati...
Arotic Root dilation and ascending
I have similar measurements. And both are within the high normal range. Typically, these kind of numbers do not produce any symptoms. They don't with me.
So unless I'm missing something, it doesn't appear that your symptoms are because of the aortic dimensions you posted.
Those numbers may be an unnecessary source of anxiety to you and hopefully that has been explained by your doctors. Other than follow up imaging every one to two years, I've been given no treatment or specific instructions regarding my situation.
In sumnary, I have no medical training, but on the face of it the symptoms you're experiencing have nothing to do with your aortic measurements so hopefully your current doctor will look elsewhere. If not a second opinion can always be helpful or reassuring.
Please do not worry about those numbers unless your doctor tells you to worry about them.
Jim
Hi Jim thankyou for get back to me. Your advice has been fantastic thankyou ever so much iam most greatfull. Do you know if there is any information out there about fly with Arotic Root and ascending dilation. I would greatful for your help.
I was never told not to fly with my dimensions, which are similar to yours. Maybe you read something that cautions taking long flights but I think that would be in situations where the dimensions are much greater. I was told to avoid very heavy upper body weight training for example, low rep bench presses.
Jim
Iam going to Benidorm in January 12th until 18th iam really worried about flying, I have been having dreams about my Dilation going wrong in mid flight and I can't get it out of my head, that's why iam feeling anxious...to tell you the truth I google to much things about Arotic Root Dilation and ascending so basically iam scaring myself and that's my fault..
Unless you are going to be doing bench presses with the airplane, I would not give it a second thought.
Have a nice flight and trip and try not to think about your aortic root. If it ever gets to the point -- which it probably never will-- where you have to limit your activity or get it fixed, your doctors will let you know.
Jim
Thanks Jim you have been great. Thanks for all of your advice. Take good care of yourself.
Jayjay, whilst there may be folk in this Afib forum who know a little about aortic dilatation, try posting in the BHF forum, there are a couple of regulars there with good knowledge.
Those dimensions are as someone said are in the range of high-normal and not really a concern. Also as stated, aortic dilatation is almost always completely asymptomatic so should not cause you any physical symptoms at all. All I would anticipate any doctor will do is to recommend and arrange regular imaging of your aorta, probably no more often than 2-yearly at present. It's perfectly possible those numbers are normal for you and there would only be cause for concern if they crept up over time.
The anxiety is obviously very real but I personally think is not warranted by your aortic situation. Definitely find out what you can about aortic dilatation (and their very long-term development into possible aneurysms), though there's not much information easily available, hence my suggestion to post in BHF. There are national guidelines on the web from the various cardiac/cardiovascular institutions, on aortic management. That learning should hopefully settle your mind and you can then look at other influences making the anxiety worsr. Look at slow deep controlled breathing exercises, and progressive relaxation.
Best wishes.
Ask your consultant about flying.... you will have to disclose your conditions to your insurance company.My Aorta was found at 6.6 cm, which the consultant said was right in the sweet spot to be operated on.
About 5 months later I was fitted with a new mechanical valve and the aorta was repaired, that was just over 3 years ago. I now am back to normal or close to it.
At the time with my dimensions the consultant gave me 3 to 5 years with doing nothing, with the op I should have a normal life expectancy which is an average age of 80 in the UK.
So talk to your consultant and explain your worries, he will probably be able to put your mind at rest.
Good luck
6.6 cm is huge. Normal intervention diameter used to be 5.5 and is now 5.0 for surgery at an experienced aortic centre. You were very lucky. Glad you're back to normal
To put Jayjay's mind at rest re. flying, I would say your two cases are not comparable. It's moot whether Jayjay should disclose. Probably yes, Jayjay, but mainly on the basis that you've had a hospital investigation. But you need to make very clear that the investigation has resulted in no action at the present time, and that you're either under observation for the future, or that no further scans are intended (whatever is the case). That should satisfy the insurers. I had this very situation some 7 years ago with my ascending at 4.6 cm, and once I'd got past the sales folk at the insurers and spoke to someone who knew, they said as I was under monitoring they were happy and would insure me.
Not that huge, otherwise I would have had my op earlier than I did 😀Either way I consider myself very lucky as I'm still here and still breathing 😁
The aortic root is not far from normal and others have explained this well. My brother-in-law has similar and all that happens is it is checked every year or two with a scan. He's in his mid 70s now and fine.
The problem you have during DIY sounds like an anxiety reaction. I am guessing only but it is likely your mind is reacting to some kind of normal physical occurrence during your work. The mind has far more power to cause or add seriously to what seems to be genuine physical illness than almost any of us realise.
That said, perhaps you could ask your GP for a Holter monitor. This is an ECG that measures over time and you keep it on for up to 48 hours usually. The results are then analysed. You have a chart on which you can mark the times of any usual health changes, so, in your case, you could try some DIY and mark when the symptoms occur. The results might show that your heart skips a beat or similar which, although quite normal most of the time, could be the spur to your feeling ill.
Those symptoms do sound very much like an anxiety "attack" and might well be brought on also by what is called "hyperventilation". This is where the breathing changes slightly owing to stress or some other reason and increases the amount of carbon dioxide in the bloodstream temporarily. The effects are to feel very anxious, light-headed, tingling and so on - all in the left chest are and left face for many.
Steve
Nothing much to add to the above, not far from normal,like me ( well at least in terms of my heart 😄)It seems to me you were perhaps not given much other information when you were told this.
It really would help to pretend you don't even know! Anxiety and stress are tricky to manage sometimes but tackle them and I'm sure your hamster wheel will slow down.
Fly and enjoy! X
my brother in law had the same for st least 20+ years. He has passed away now, but nothing to do with heart or aorta, he fell down a long flight of stairs tripping on the top step
Try not to worry although I know hard
All the best
I am also under monitoring for ascending aorta diameter. I understand that the major concern is not just around diameter, but also that there might be concern about any local swelling/bulging or what they call dissection (ie splitting of the layers of the aorta wall).
There is some ongoing research which may be of interest to some of us - at Mass Gen, Boston - as with enlarged left ventricle, the enlargement of the ascending aorta is more common among lifetime athletes and it is not yet clear whether this is dangerous in such cases or merely adaptive to the greater load on these organs - more to be discovered here.
I’m new to this.
Chest soreness and tightness...
Take it easy Paul!
feeling very depressed and fear of going to die 
