Earlier Today And Yesterday I Had Chest Tightness That Pulsed

Posted on Mon, 13 Jan 2020

Question: Earlier today and yesterday I had chest tightness that pulsed and I felt it in my jaw.. it was definately my heart. My boyfriend had me lay down and raise my feet up so I could get blood flow to my heart.. after it happened again today I have continued to feel it very faintly and it hasn’t subsided. Does one of my arteries have buildup? Should I go to the hospital ASAP or wait til I have another spasm?? I’m 29yo female 5’6 weigh 155lbs. Diet -not the greatest. Only lightly active.

Answered by Dr. Ilir Sharka (47 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
I would recommend as follows:

Detailed Answer:
Hello!

Welcome to Ask a Doctor service!

I passed carefully through your question and would explain that your symptoms could be suggestive of low blood pressure or orthostatic hypotension, considering the fact that lying down with your feet up improves the situation.

I don't think that there is any problem with your arteries, especially considering your young age.

For this reason, I would recommend you to stay at bed rest and closely monitor your blood pressure values.

In case of low blood pressure, I would recommend performing some tests:

- complete blood count for anemia
- blood electrolytes
- kidney and liver function tests
- a resting ECG.

A Head up Tilt test would help exclude possible orthostatic hypotension.

In the meantime, taking plenty of fluids would help improve your situation.

Hope you will find this answer helpful!

I remain at your disposal for any further questions whenever you need!

Kind regards,

Dr.Ilir Sharka, Cardiologist

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

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vaishalee Punj