What does Brightness around the heart on echocardiogram mean?

[Angie2020]

Hi everyone. Had an echocardiogram along with clear chest X-ray and waiting for lung function test again as my last one was 66% and also been referred to respiratory clinic. My heart was normal size and all valves looked to be Normal but the doctor as referred me to a cardiologist as he said there was brightness around my heart? What does that mean? I also had ekg which showed atrial fibrillation which as been the same for a few years. I was in shock so i never asked what it meant. Is it suggestive of fluid around the heart? My symptoms are progressive breathlessness starting with exercise intolerance and walking upstairs and similar activities to getting breathless just being sat down which can last for hours. Also headaches, dizziness, a blue tinge on lips, a tingling and heavy feeling in limbs, fatigue and sporadic aching chest pain and occasional nausea.I've told My doctor all this but he doesn't seem concerned. Some days I feel like I'm slowly suffocating and I have no clue when I will get seen. I'm on sick leave as there's no way of working when o don't know how I will be from one day to the next. All I've been prescribed is a ventolin inhaler which doesn't seem to work. The breathlessness had got really bad over the last month. Surely they can't make me wait 18 weeks to see a cardiologist when I feel this ill? I'm an ex smoker so don't know if I have copd or heart problems or both! I've been feeling ill since last October with new symptoms and I started feeling very ill a few weeks ago after I had an endoscopy and colonoscopy procedure. That's when I noticed my blue lips. I'm in limbo and not knowing what wrong with me is the worst feeling ever

[jimmyq]

I would print out this post, underline or highlight the symptoms and go to see your GP with it. Try to get better medication and your cardiology appt. brought forward. Is there more than 1 doctor at your surgery? Try to see a different one.

[Angie2020 in reply to jimmyq]

They've know all my symptoms. I explain them all everytime I go to the doctors. I've seen different doctors everytime. I've told them time and time again that I'm struggling to breath properly and all they say is go to A&E if you tongue goes blue or I get crushing chest pain or pass out. I've been to A&E 3 times now and they just send me home because my pulse ox, bp and temp are normal. They tell me I'm suffering anxiety. Anxiety doesn't make your lips blue. I've pointed this out time and time again to no avail. They have the results of my echocardiogram on their system but don't seem concerned.

[jimmyq in reply to Angie2020]

You appear to be stuck in a loop! All I can say is that if there was anything wrong that needed fixing urgently they would probably have kept you in to do it. You could try BHF Heart Helpline on 0300 330 3311 and talk to a nurse.

Try not to worry and try to relax (have you tried meditation, yoga, Tai Chi, Chi Kung or Mindfulness?).

[kel55]

hi, im not a doctor but can l ask you a few questions:

what time of the day do your chest pains mainly start?

do you have raynauds or migraines?

do you get this at rest or during exersice or both?

do you get drained of energy quickly?

is there anything that starts it off?

there are many heart/vascular complaints out there, no doctor can know them all. the questions can illiminate some of them

[Angie2020 in reply to kel55]

My chests pains are intermittent and I don't get them all the time and it's any time. I don't have raynauds but I have had a couple of bouts of really bad headaches that have lasted days. I get breathless at rest as well as when I exert myself and I'm exhausted by the end of the day with trying to catch my breath

[kel55 in reply to Angie2020]

the questions l asked were based around a variant angina but your answers are inconclusive. Docs dont generally know about it, is why l asked.