I went on quite a long walk with my husband yesterday and for the last 10 minute stretch towards home I really struggled. I had a painful ache squeeze, pressure like pain in the left side of my chest. I could barely make it home and got increasingly out of breath. This last part of the walk was on not up an incline. Once home I lay on the sofa for 3 hours and my heart was thumping hard at between 122 and 125 bpm. I feel ok today! I’m waiting for an appointment to see a Cardiologist because of breathlessness on inclines, should I do see someone sooner? Not sure whether I should be worried or not as I feel ok today.
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ndav63
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I would be seen today given the left hand pain you are describing. I have SVT, a type of tachycardia, and although my heart rate is higher than what you are reporting, I have been told that I should not leave it more than half an hour before calling an ambulance or attending A & E as your heart is effectively running a marathon and it then gets dangerous. If you can't see the GP, then i suggest A & E.
I'm no expert as no doctor has really properly explained but in periods of SVT your heart beats fast but regularly, but I think there are other types associated with abnormal heart rhythms which can be more concerning. Also the different types of tachycardia refer to the part of the heart that is affected or where the electrical problem occurs.
OK. A tachycardia of 122 to 125 is actually quite low. It is basically a walking rate that gets stuck. It is for a doctor to judge if this is serious or not, but for most people it is harmless. You should be able to go all day at this rate and not notice it. But, you do wise to have a general checkout -- there is always the possibility there is something hidden. You say it came at the end of a long walk. That sound familiar.
I suggest you ask your doctor about PIP, which is Pill In the Pocket. Usually used for the kind of Atrial Fibrillation that comes and goes. There is a variation I have used, which is to have a very small dose (1.25mg) of bisoprolol available (this is a betablocker, and a GP can handle this). Whenever my heart rate gets stuck after exercise, I have found the bisoprolol brings it down within 45 minutes.
If it happens again, you could, quite safely, try the Valsalva maneuver
You are right to be concerned and to investigate. When I did I found very little medical information. From experience I came to make my own distinctions between different kinds of tachcardia, and the idea you can get a 'slight' tachycardia is scarcely acknowledged. Hence my reasoning towards the idea that after a long day, the body systems can get stuck in active level. What can bring it down? Something that is against adrenaline -- a betablocker. One less known uses of it is as a one-time calmant, in cases such as stage fright.
Did you drink plenty of water as you went along? two and a half litres a day, etc? If all else fails, manually force your husband to enter a public house so that you can replenish your fluid levels and regain your strength. If you time it right an opportunity for a pleasant lunch may present itself.
It is a hard decision to make, but I am sure that once you have regained your strength and have replenished your fluid and energy levels you will be able drag him on his way and enjoy the rest of your walk.
Yes we had stopped off for a drink towards the end of our walk and had taken water with us so hydrating. I just felt on this occasion that my body gave up. I play golf and have had problems recently with breathlessness which has put me off playing lately.
The description of your symptoms are consistent with clogged arteries - heart disease.
You need to make immediate, permanent, changes to your diet and lifestyle.
Adopt the Mediterranean Diet - a whole-foods, plant-based diet, with small portions of animal protein.
Focus your diet on legumes, vegetables, whole fruits, nuts, seeds, eggs (boiled or poached), and fish (grilled or baked).
Eliminate all sugar, artificial sweeteners, processed foods and simple carbohydrates from your diet.
The only oil you should use is extra virgin olive oil. Salad dressing should only be the olive oil with lemon juice plus oregano, lightly salted and with black pepper if you wish. Store-bought salad dressing contains sugar. So do most condiments such as ketchup and bbq sauce.
Get yourself a Mediterranean Diet cookbook or Greek cookbook. You cannot eat healthy if you don't cook for yourself.
Continue to walk daily but try limiting your walks to 20 minutes until you begin to experience weight loss from your new diet.
I went through coronary bypass surgery 4 years ago following a period of shortness of breath during exercise. It was the worst experience of my life. If you make the changes now, you can spare yourself this major medical intervention.
I implemented the dietary changes I recommended above and lost 40 lbs and brought my weight to its optimal and natural level for my frame (155 to 160 lbs).
I no longer take any medications and my blood work is optimal.
Thank you for your help and advice. Yes! Taken the warning signs and lost half a stone recently and have totally changed my food diet, avoiding sweets and alcohol, sticking to mainly protein and fibre. Still eat pasta and rice but brown and substantially reduced my portion size.
I’m sure my body has been trying to tell me something so have been concentrating on making changes to my lifestyle. Had a scare just after Christmas where they thought I’d had a blood clot in the lung. I also suffered a collapsed lung but thought I’d mad3 a full recovery. Did all the Spirometry tests in and all came back normal which is why I think I have been referred to Cardiology. I am aware following a previous Echocardiogram that I have a mild leaky Mitral and Aortic valve.
A leaky mitral and aortic valve are not normal for most people, even with age. Your body is sending you clear signals of its ill health. I would urge you to be very disciplined with your diet.
Pasta is a simple carbohydrate which spikes your blood sugar, generating an insulin response from your pancreas. Unused energy is then stored as fat and elevated sugar in the blood stream increases LDL particles which are atherogenic (create plaques in your arteries).
In addition, when blood glucose increases, the hormone known as leptin drops off. This hormone controls your appetite and tells you when you're full. Having simple carbs like pasta will actually cause you to overeat.
I have pasta maybe twice per year and even then, a very tiny portion. I have lost my interest in pasta since my own dietary transition. I now get excited to eat healthy foods.
To help you transition, they now sell quinoa or lentil pasta. However, in general try to avoid this food. I also limit brown rice to once every couple of months. I don't crave these foods anymore. Once you break the sugar/simple carb addiction - you lose your cravings for them.
That’s really interesting about the possibility of my leaky valves repairing themselves. My Gp has not informed me of that and I haven’t read anywhere that this can happen. Diet wise, I rarely eat pasta and if I do it about the size of my palm in portion size. I eat huge amounts of salad or vegetable based meals as they are easy to fill up on if you add some protein like egg or pulses. I do have to be careful as I have IBS and too much fibre can work in the opposite way for me, where I get extremely uncomfortable stomach cramps and constipation. I have also enjoyed inventing meals and agree, eating fresh foods, especially Mediterranean style, which I love. My daughter lives in Spain and my husband and I spend a lot of time out there, where I enjoy Tapas and eating small amounts of different things. Thank you your really helpful information. I’m going to continue changing my lifestyle and at the moment I’m finding it quite easy. It’s just the stamina thing with breathlessness and these niggling chest pains that prevent me doing all I want to do. Just want my appointment with the Cardiologist to hurry up!
You will not find a doctor who will tell you that you can improve or repair your condition naturally. They don't teach that in medical school. An optimal diet doesn't guarantee it either, but it materially increases the possibility. Ultimately in most cases, leaky valves are caused by excessive strain on the heart due to excess weight and the resulting blood pressure.
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