What Causes Sharp Pain In Heart Area In A 44 Year Old Woman?

Posted on Fri, 5 Feb 2016

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Fri, 5 Feb 2016 Answered on

Tue, 5 Apr 2016 Last reviewed on

Question : I am 44 years old, in excellent health and extremely active, working out several times a day, mostly 7 days a week. No smoking, drinking, drugs. Good amount of stress in my life. Once in a great while (maybe 4-5 times a year), when doing something strenuous such as diving for a volleyball or doing planks, I'll get a sharp pain in the heart area. It lasts 1 second. After I stand for a few moments, I can do the exact same thing without any trouble. Any concern?

Answered by Dr. Ilir Sharka (34 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Your symptoms don't seem to be related to any cardiac disorders.

Detailed Answer:
Hello!

Welcome and thank you for asking on HCM!

I carefully read your question and would explain that your symptoms don't seem to be cardiac related.

You should know that a sharp pain is not typical of any cardiac disorder (including myocardial ischemia) and could be related to musculo-skeletal issues (like inflammation or muscle stretching).

So there is nothing to worry about!

I would recommend a routine check up by your attending physician, including a careful physical exam and some tests:

- a resting ECG
- a chest X ray study
- blood lab tests (complete blood count, PCR, sedimentation rate, kidney and liver function tests, fasting glucose, blood electrolytes).

If the problem persists you can perform a cardiac stress tests to see your cardiac performance during physical exertion.

Nevertheless, this clinical situation seems to be nothing serious.

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

Follow up: Dr. Ilir Sharka (24 minutes later)

Thank you very much for putting my mind at ease. I did neglect to mention that I was born with a heart murmur. It was never checked to see if it was closed as I aged or not. I assumed it was closed. Since I was little, every now and then it would feel as if my heart would skip a beat. Any concerns there? Thank you very much for your time.

Answered by Dr. Ilir Sharka (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
I would recommend performing a cardiac ultrasound.

Detailed Answer:
Hello again!

Thank you for the additional information!

You should know that most of inter-atrial defects (responsible for the heart murmur) get closed spontaneously within the first two years of life. This must have happened to you too.

Nevertheless, coming to this point I would recommend performing a cardiac ultrasound to examine your cardiac function and structure.

I will be happy to review your uploaded reports for another professional review.

You can ask me directly at any time at the link below:

http://doctor.healthcaremagic.com/Funnel?page=askDoctorDirectly&docId=69765

Hope to have been helpful!

Best wishes,

Dr. Iliri

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

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