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What Do Chest Pain And Pressure When Under Stress Indicate?
Posted on
Mon, 29 Jun 2015
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Mon, 29 Jun 2015
Answered on
Thu, 16 Jul 2015
Last reviewed on
Question : Hi. A few days ago, I started having chest pain/pressure after a stressful meeting at work.
Called the paramedics and they ran an ekg on me.
It showed a 'Septal Infarct'. So they rushed me to the hospital, where I had another ekg right away(about 20 minutes after the paramedics ran theirs). It was perfectly normal. I then had a series of 3 Troponine I tests and 2 more ekg over the course of an overnight stay at the hospital. ALL were normal. Vitals were also normal. My question is: what should I make of the ekg run by the paramedics? Should I consider it invalid since all the hospital tests contradicted it? If I truly
was experiencing a Septal Infarct wouldn't the Troponine I test, ran about 45 minutes later, have detected evidence of it? Or is Troponine I not released during this kind of infarct? I will see a cardiologist in a few weeks(that's the earliest they can get me in), but in the meantime just wondering if my heart is a ticking time bomb right now, or if the cause of my chest pressure was just something else, like acid reflux(which I've had for a while, but rarely have chest pressure as one of my symptoms). Also, can stress trigger acid reflux symptoms?
Thanks so much,
XXXX
Called the paramedics and they ran an ekg on me.
It showed a 'Septal Infarct'. So they rushed me to the hospital, where I had another ekg right away(about 20 minutes after the paramedics ran theirs). It was perfectly normal. I then had a series of 3 Troponine I tests and 2 more ekg over the course of an overnight stay at the hospital. ALL were normal. Vitals were also normal. My question is: what should I make of the ekg run by the paramedics? Should I consider it invalid since all the hospital tests contradicted it? If I truly
was experiencing a Septal Infarct wouldn't the Troponine I test, ran about 45 minutes later, have detected evidence of it? Or is Troponine I not released during this kind of infarct? I will see a cardiologist in a few weeks(that's the earliest they can get me in), but in the meantime just wondering if my heart is a ticking time bomb right now, or if the cause of my chest pressure was just something else, like acid reflux(which I've had for a while, but rarely have chest pressure as one of my symptoms). Also, can stress trigger acid reflux symptoms?
Thanks so much,
XXXX
Brief Answer:
Infarct ruled out by hospital tests, symptoms stress related
Detailed Answer:
Dear patient,
if 3 trop and ekg tests were all negative in the hospital an infarct is very likely ruled out. The initial ekg was probably a false positive computer mistake made by unprecise evaluation of the ekg machine and/or false positive interpretation of the paramedic. However it was totally correct to send you to the hospital just in case. So your heart is no "ticking time bomb" in that sense, but you should cut down on risk factors like stress, smoking, hypertension, overweight/ high blood fats, that is what you have in your hands. Probably your symptoms at the meeting were stress related and yes that can trigger reflux also. You can try over the counter antacids to improve it.
Hope this is helping you, if so please kindly rate, if you have any questions feel free to get back to me.
Infarct ruled out by hospital tests, symptoms stress related
Detailed Answer:
Dear patient,
if 3 trop and ekg tests were all negative in the hospital an infarct is very likely ruled out. The initial ekg was probably a false positive computer mistake made by unprecise evaluation of the ekg machine and/or false positive interpretation of the paramedic. However it was totally correct to send you to the hospital just in case. So your heart is no "ticking time bomb" in that sense, but you should cut down on risk factors like stress, smoking, hypertension, overweight/ high blood fats, that is what you have in your hands. Probably your symptoms at the meeting were stress related and yes that can trigger reflux also. You can try over the counter antacids to improve it.
Hope this is helping you, if so please kindly rate, if you have any questions feel free to get back to me.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Shanthi.E
Thanks doctor. That puts my mind at ease
about the paramedics ekg being anything
to worry about. Just another followup
question: another thing that's been triggering
this same chest pressure is exposure to heat.
Right now where I live(Arizona) it's extremely
hot. Could hot weather also trigger acid reflux?
The symptoms are identical to the stress
related ones, and it's very hard to know if
this is heart related or stomach related
(the pressure is mostly in lower chest,upper
abdomen). Just trying to find out as much
as I can, so I get proper medical help, yet
avoid unnecessary(and expensive) trips to
the hospital.
FYI, I did have a coronary CT angiogram about
3 years ago, and it was pretty benign: < 25%
stenosis in right coronary artery, otherwise
everything else was 'clean'. My lifestyle is
very healthy(except for stress and lack of
sleep), and I'm at my ideal weight.
I guess I have just one more question:
is there any way to reverse plaque
short of surgical intervention?
Thanks so much.
XXXXXXX
about the paramedics ekg being anything
to worry about. Just another followup
question: another thing that's been triggering
this same chest pressure is exposure to heat.
Right now where I live(Arizona) it's extremely
hot. Could hot weather also trigger acid reflux?
The symptoms are identical to the stress
related ones, and it's very hard to know if
this is heart related or stomach related
(the pressure is mostly in lower chest,upper
abdomen). Just trying to find out as much
as I can, so I get proper medical help, yet
avoid unnecessary(and expensive) trips to
the hospital.
FYI, I did have a coronary CT angiogram about
3 years ago, and it was pretty benign: < 25%
stenosis in right coronary artery, otherwise
everything else was 'clean'. My lifestyle is
very healthy(except for stress and lack of
sleep), and I'm at my ideal weight.
I guess I have just one more question:
is there any way to reverse plaque
short of surgical intervention?
Thanks so much.
XXXXXXX
Brief Answer:
Keep on the healthy body lifestyle, reduce mental stress
Detailed Answer:
Dear patient,
if you have ideal weight and do sports, with no smoking, hypertension and no high blood cholesterol than plaques are nothing you need to worry about usually. You need to just keep that up then. If you can reduce mental stress (relaxation techniques, evtl. psycholoical counceling).
Reflux is typically triggered by spicy, fatty foods and hard liquor and potentially stress, heat could be but it is not known as typical trigger. If there is any doubt a gastroscopy and ultrasound abdomen would be advisable if not happened lately. But with several negative trop tests and ekgs the heart should be fine at this point.
With below 25% stenosis a surgical intervention is normally not indicated.
Best regards again,
Keep on the healthy body lifestyle, reduce mental stress
Detailed Answer:
Dear patient,
if you have ideal weight and do sports, with no smoking, hypertension and no high blood cholesterol than plaques are nothing you need to worry about usually. You need to just keep that up then. If you can reduce mental stress (relaxation techniques, evtl. psycholoical counceling).
Reflux is typically triggered by spicy, fatty foods and hard liquor and potentially stress, heat could be but it is not known as typical trigger. If there is any doubt a gastroscopy and ultrasound abdomen would be advisable if not happened lately. But with several negative trop tests and ekgs the heart should be fine at this point.
With below 25% stenosis a surgical intervention is normally not indicated.
Best regards again,
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
Answered by
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