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Have Shortness Of Breath. EKG Showed Long Pauses And Double Beats. Any Ideas?

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Posted on Tue, 15 Jan 2013
Question: I have shortness of breath, heart is beating strangely. EKG shows long pauses and double beats etc...blood work all normal, chest xray normal, but still feel terrible? Thyroid test normal also.

Any ideas what else to investigate...virus???
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Answered by Dr. Anil Grover (12 hours later)
Hi there,
Thanks for writing in.
I am a qualified and certified cardiologist. I read your mail with diligence.
What you are suggestive in EKG is arrhythmia with description it is not possible to point the name. With cardiac arrhythmia and shortness of breath points towards abnormal function of heart. Therefore, you need to consult a cardiologist. Who after through examination would recommend investigations like echocardiography Doppler examination and perhaps an Holter (24 hour EKG recording) before instituting a proper therapy. If for cancer of appendix if you were treated with chemotherapy all this could be side effects of that but that is a guess. With sleep apnoea cardiac dysfunction and arrhythmia is known to occur.

Second important is how soon should you seek medical help. If you have a situation where our sleep over last few days has been interrupted by air hunger and if you feel better in sitting position as compared to lying down condition. Then it is an emergency and I would urge you to seek help from medical specialist in ER. If you are breathless only on exertion your regular doctor appointment for this week will suffice and you plan to seek cardiac help at the earliest next week. Good Luck.

With Best Wishes

Dr Anil Grover
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Anil Grover

Cardiologist

Practicing since :1981

Answered : 922 Questions

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Have Shortness Of Breath. EKG Showed Long Pauses And Double Beats. Any Ideas?

Hi there,
Thanks for writing in.
I am a qualified and certified cardiologist. I read your mail with diligence.
What you are suggestive in EKG is arrhythmia with description it is not possible to point the name. With cardiac arrhythmia and shortness of breath points towards abnormal function of heart. Therefore, you need to consult a cardiologist. Who after through examination would recommend investigations like echocardiography Doppler examination and perhaps an Holter (24 hour EKG recording) before instituting a proper therapy. If for cancer of appendix if you were treated with chemotherapy all this could be side effects of that but that is a guess. With sleep apnoea cardiac dysfunction and arrhythmia is known to occur.

Second important is how soon should you seek medical help. If you have a situation where our sleep over last few days has been interrupted by air hunger and if you feel better in sitting position as compared to lying down condition. Then it is an emergency and I would urge you to seek help from medical specialist in ER. If you are breathless only on exertion your regular doctor appointment for this week will suffice and you plan to seek cardiac help at the earliest next week. Good Luck.

With Best Wishes

Dr Anil Grover