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What Causes Severe Chest Pain After Walking A Short Distance?
Question: I am experiencing severe chest pain after walking about 100 yards. The pain is like a pressure, not sharp or burning, centered in the lower sternum area. My EKG is normal per one doctor and slightly abnormal per another. Dry food does get caught when eating. I must drink. What if any, is the relationship between walking and esophagi spasms?
Brief Answer:
I would recommend performing further tests:
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Welcome and thank you for asking on HCM!
I carefully passed through your question and would explain that your symptoms do not seem to be related to any cardiac disorders.
Anyway, I would like to review your ECG if you can upload it for another second opinion.
But, you should know that a resting ECG is not the only test to investigate for any cardiac disorders. It should be coupled with the symptoms of the patients and other tests like cardiac enzymes, in order to come into conclusions about the presence or not of coronary artery disease.
Your symptoms are really not characteristic of this disorder.
An esophageal disorder (like esophagitis, esophaeal spasms, etc.) could be the cause of your symptoms, especially considering the fact that you have difficulty in swallowing hard food.
So, I would recommend consulting with your attending physician for some other tests:
- cardiac enzymes
- a cardiac stress test
- a chest X ray study
- complete blood count, PCR, sedimentation rate for inflammation
A fibrogastroscopy would be the test of choice to examine your esophagus. Regarding Nitro, as it has an antispastic effect, it can act also on the esophageal spasms. So, we can not really differentiate if it is your heart or esophagus which is causing the pain.
You should discuss with your doctor on the above issues.
Hope you will find this answer helpful!
Kind regards,
Dr. Iliri
I would recommend performing further tests:
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Welcome and thank you for asking on HCM!
I carefully passed through your question and would explain that your symptoms do not seem to be related to any cardiac disorders.
Anyway, I would like to review your ECG if you can upload it for another second opinion.
But, you should know that a resting ECG is not the only test to investigate for any cardiac disorders. It should be coupled with the symptoms of the patients and other tests like cardiac enzymes, in order to come into conclusions about the presence or not of coronary artery disease.
Your symptoms are really not characteristic of this disorder.
An esophageal disorder (like esophagitis, esophaeal spasms, etc.) could be the cause of your symptoms, especially considering the fact that you have difficulty in swallowing hard food.
So, I would recommend consulting with your attending physician for some other tests:
- cardiac enzymes
- a cardiac stress test
- a chest X ray study
- complete blood count, PCR, sedimentation rate for inflammation
A fibrogastroscopy would be the test of choice to examine your esophagus. Regarding Nitro, as it has an antispastic effect, it can act also on the esophageal spasms. So, we can not really differentiate if it is your heart or esophagus which is causing the pain.
You should discuss with your doctor on the above issues.
Hope you will find this answer helpful!
Kind regards,
Dr. Iliri
Note: For further follow-up it is advisable to consult an emergency medicine specialist. Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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