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Question: Heart issues
| musashi7711
- Thu May 31, 2007 3:08 pm |
36 yr old male...no issues in past. No medications.
I have two separate issues (I think).
1. Chest pains...but not the "fullness/pain/heart" pains, but muscle/rib pains. Hurts sometimes to the touch. Sometimes on breastbone...sometimes on ribs.
2. Lately I get that "skipped beat" heart thing. Not when exercising, but when just sitting. It usually happens after I eat. Pulse rate is a little higher after I eat, which I'm told is normal due to digestion. I also notice that it happens at work usually, which is a stressful job.
Thoughts?
Thanks!
Chad
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| Dr. Chan Lowe
- Tue Jun 05, 2007 4:04 am |
 Regarding your first issue, it sounds like costochondritis which is inflammation of the cartilage of the ribs. It can be quite painful at times and the pain is often recreated by pushing on the affected rib. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories such as Ibuprofen are generally quite good at treating this pain.
Your second issue with the occasional skipped beats is a fairly common thing. It is not unusual for the heart to occuasionally have a "missed" beat, which is really an early first beat followed by a prolonged pause then the next beat picks up. No pause would have been noticed if the 1st beat hadn't been early. As long as these are infrequent and do not get worse with activity it is likely that they are innocent occurences and not dangerous.
If they begin to happen more often, you begin having symptoms due to them, or if you are concerned I would recommend you see your doctor for an ECG to look at the heart rhythm.
Best wishes.
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