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What Causes Dyspnea On Exertion, Fatigue, Swollen Stomach With Weight Gain?
Posted on
Mon, 6 Jun 2016
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Mon, 6 Jun 2016
Answered on
Tue, 5 Jul 2016
Last reviewed on
Question : I am a 49yo male and have been experiencing shortness of breath on exertion, fatigue, swollen stomach with weight gain, and enlarged liver. I had an echocardiogram on the 27th of May. My doctor has not contacted me about the results as of yet but I was able to review my report online. I can attach the report and wanted to know if this is something I should be concerned with or continue to wait patiently for my doctor to contact me. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I do not have health insurance and use the VA Hospital, which I am not very confident in. Thanks XXXXXXX
Brief Answer:
I would explain as follows:
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Welcome and thank you for asking on HCM!
I carefully passed through your question and reviewed all your uploaded reports.
Your symptoms seem to be related to right heart dysfunction, which has also been confirmed by your cardiac ultrasound which reveals a dilated right ventricle.
All the above clinical presentation raises suspicions of important pulmonary disease. As your left heart function and structure is normal, a bronco-pulmonary disease or a bronco-vascular (thromboembolic)disease.
As I mentioned you above it is important differentiating between these two pulmonary disorders. In this regard besides a careful physical exam, chest X ray study, some additional tests are necessary as follows:
- pulmonary function tests
- pulmonary angio CT (possibly better a double rule out protocol to include also coronary artery investigation).
- lung ventilation-perfusion scan
Some blood lab tests are also necessary :
- complete blood count
- arterial blood gas analysis
- AST, ALT
- BUN, creatinine
- D-Dimmer
- inflammation tests.
Meanwhile, I recommend you to follow your doctors advice and treat your other risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia and sleep apnea), whose proper management would help improve your clinical situation.
Hope you will find this answer helpful!
Feel free to ask any other questions whenever you need!
Kind regards,
Dr. Iliri
I would explain as follows:
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Welcome and thank you for asking on HCM!
I carefully passed through your question and reviewed all your uploaded reports.
Your symptoms seem to be related to right heart dysfunction, which has also been confirmed by your cardiac ultrasound which reveals a dilated right ventricle.
All the above clinical presentation raises suspicions of important pulmonary disease. As your left heart function and structure is normal, a bronco-pulmonary disease or a bronco-vascular (thromboembolic)disease.
As I mentioned you above it is important differentiating between these two pulmonary disorders. In this regard besides a careful physical exam, chest X ray study, some additional tests are necessary as follows:
- pulmonary function tests
- pulmonary angio CT (possibly better a double rule out protocol to include also coronary artery investigation).
- lung ventilation-perfusion scan
Some blood lab tests are also necessary :
- complete blood count
- arterial blood gas analysis
- AST, ALT
- BUN, creatinine
- D-Dimmer
- inflammation tests.
Meanwhile, I recommend you to follow your doctors advice and treat your other risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia and sleep apnea), whose proper management would help improve your clinical situation.
Hope you will find this answer helpful!
Feel free to ask any other questions whenever you need!
Kind regards,
Dr. Iliri
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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