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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Problems After A Heart Attack

My neighbour had a heart attack 3 months ago and is now waiting for a triple bypass operation. She goes for a walk every morning early and I go with her. She does very well but later in the day, every movement even from room to room, brings on fluttering in her chest and she feels a little faint for a few seconds and breaths heavily. She finds stairs difficult. If we go shopping, she has to walk slowly because of the same problem. I am sure she is worse now than say 6 weeks after the heart attack. Is this normal?
Sat, 19 Dec 2009
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The symptoms she is having sounds like she is having some kind of arrhythmia on exertion she needs to speak to her GP ASAP who could ask her cardiologist to do a 24hr tape (is worn home monitors the heart for 24hours) or if she is very breathless and dizzy when it happens or it takes very little exertion to bring on the symptoms take her to your local accident and emergency dept, if she is having some kind of arrhythmia taking her in while she is actually experiencing symptoms means she can get an ECG at the time so it will actually show whats going on. If an ECG is done once the symptoms have settled it may not show the problem. Some arrhythmias, espec if the rate is very fast can be harmful if they keep happening for prolonged periods and in the worst case scenario could lead to a cardiac arrest, I'm not saying this will happen but you wouldn't want to risk it.
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Problems After A Heart Attack

The symptoms she is having sounds like she is having some kind of arrhythmia on exertion she needs to speak to her GP ASAP who could ask her cardiologist to do a 24hr tape (is worn home monitors the heart for 24hours) or if she is very breathless and dizzy when it happens or it takes very little exertion to bring on the symptoms take her to your local accident and emergency dept, if she is having some kind of arrhythmia taking her in while she is actually experiencing symptoms means she can get an ECG at the time so it will actually show whats going on. If an ECG is done once the symptoms have settled it may not show the problem. Some arrhythmias, espec if the rate is very fast can be harmful if they keep happening for prolonged periods and in the worst case scenario could lead to a cardiac arrest, I m not saying this will happen but you wouldn t want to risk it.