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45 Year Old Woman Who Is Relatively Healthy. I Keep

Posted on Tue, 16 Apr 2019

Question: 45 year old woman who is relatively healthy.
I keep waking with shortness of breath and a feeling of tightness around my chest. What could this be?
I recently had blood work done, an ECG and chest xray, all were fine but these episodes keep happening

Answered by Dr. Dr. Jolanda (2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Please read the following and discuss with your doctor

Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome in HCM

I can understand your concern

If you were my patient I would recommend as follows:

First do a stress test to exclude heart problems
If negative than a Spirometry test is needed for evaluation of airways to detect any narrowing of them.
If negative than a Metacholine test is the next step.If negative than bronchial asthma is excluded too.

The last step is the evaluation of thyroid gland hormones such as TSH FT4 FT3

If negative too than an anxiety disorder is present

Please discuss with your doctor for the above and he/she will guide you further

Hope to have been helpful

Regards

Dr. Jolanda

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T

Follow up: Dr. Dr. Jolanda (26 minutes later)

Is a stress test necessary though if I had blood work, ECG and chest xray that were all fine?
I had those done a day ago.

Can a shoulder injury cause any of the symptoms I am having?
What about sleep apnea?

Answered by Dr. Dr. Jolanda (12 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Continue discussion

Detailed Answer:
Hi
Yes stress test is absolutely needed in this situation

No I don't think a shoulder injury might be the cause

There are several causes of sleep apnea one of the them the most usual is obesity and smoking

Regards

Dr.Jolanda

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T