What Causes Excruciating Pain In Upper Left Chest And Left Hand While Walking?

Posted on Thu, 30 Jun 2016

Question: I get excruciating pain in the upper side of my left chest and left hand on walking and climbing stairs. This is accompanied by breaking down of knees and breathlessness. All these disappears once I stop doing the activity. I am hypertensive for more than a decade. Had seen cardiologists on multiple occasions and they said ECG and EEG reports are normal. Please advice.

Answered by Dr. Rajesh Teli (8 hours later)

Brief Answer:
you should get exercise stress test done

Detailed Answer:
Hello,
I am Dr.Rajesh Teli,MD.
I have gone through your query.Thanks for using HCM.

As your symptoms are precipitated by exertion and relieved by rest there are all the chances that you have blocks in coronary arteries leading less blood supply to heart. I suggest you to get your exercise Tread Mill Test done, which will confirm this possibility . So I suggest you to get it done at earliest.

I would like to know following details
1.Have you family history of heart disease ?
2.What is the level of your cholesterol and other lipids ?
3.Do you smoke or consume alcohol ?
4.what is your menstrual history ?
5.Are you over weight ?
6.Have you got Diabetes ?
7.Is your life style stressful?

Please provide me these details so that i can guide you further.Meanwhile please focus on control of your Blood pressure.It should remain below 140/90 mmhg.

My best wishes
Dr.Teli.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Arnab Banerjee

Follow up: Dr. Rajesh Teli (8 hours later)

Hello Doctor,

Thanks for your answer. Please find below the details that you had requested for:

1.Have you family history of heart disease ?: YES, my father survived 3 strokes and died on the 4th attack at the age of 60.
2.What is the level of your cholesterol and other lipids ? I have not checked it in the recent past.
3.Do you smoke or consume alcohol ? NO, I have no addiction.
4.what is your menstrual history ? REGULAR
5.Are you over weight ? I am 37 years, 5.5 inches and 65 kgs.
6.Have you got Diabetes ? YES, I had history of diabetes.
7.Is your life style stressful? YES, it is.

Answered by Dr. Rajesh Teli (8 hours later)

Brief Answer:
please get coronary angiography instead of TMT

Detailed Answer:
Hello XXXX,
I think, in view of strong family history,history of daibetes and and stressful life ,your complaints are certainly due to blocks in coronaries.Therefore it is better to get cononray angiography straightaway. TMT carries risk during the procedure and it is less specific than coronary angiography.Coronary angiography is Gold standard for diagnosis of lack of blood supply to heart.
I request you to get coronary angiography and infomr me reports .Depending upon degree of blockage we shall be able to plan further course of action.It will help to know the risk of heart attack in near future and would guide further line of treatment.
Please Get your lipid profile done to know exact level of cholesterol,
My best wishes
Dr.Teli.

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

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad