I am 18, nearly 19, but I think I have heart problems or something in my chest..?
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If you don't think your doctor is taking you seriously it probably means it's time for a new doctor. A person can have heart problems at any age (though it is less common at younger ages) and the doctor should take any concern of the patient seriously in case there is a real problem.
Go to another Dr. Ask him to refer you to a cardiologist. Sounds like a rib might be the problem with the breathing deeply. A nerve could be pinched and causing the numbing in your arm and chest. My husband had that. Tell the Dr. if he brushes you off that you request to see a cardiologist. When the numbing pain happens try and see what position your arm is in.Try moving it up and back,stretching it. When it happens again remember where it is.see if there is a pattern to the numbing...It sounds like it could be something simple,but you will never know,if you don't go again!
I would see another doctor. I have also tracked my different pains. I identify when, where, and what time of the day I have this pain. This can be valuable information and lead you to what is going on. I personally have never heard of a heart problem at the age of 18.
If your physician has ruled out cardiac problems (and it sounds like he has!), the following may be the source of your discomfort:
1. Pleurisy or pleuritis. Inflammation of the membrane that covers your lungs. Breathing makes it worse, and it can spread to your arms.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pleuris...
2. Costochondritis. Inflammation of the cartilage connecting the ribs to the breastbone. This can feel just like a heart attack. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/costoch...
For good general information about chest pain and its causes, try http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/chest-p... Your pain does not sound cardiac in origin, but if it continued you may want to return to your physician with the above information in hand and discuss some of these causes of chest pain with him.
anxiety will also cause the symptoms you mention, which makes you more anxious, then the symptoms get worse.
People have gone to the emergency room thinking they are having a heart attack and it is really an anxiety attack. I am not belittling anxiety attacks here. They are very scary, and very real. Your heart starts racing, and you break out in a cold sweat, you get chest pains, difficulty breathing, your hands get cold or numb, and you can have heart palpitations. All very scary.
Also heartburn can cause similar symptoms.
So, what to do?
Some drugs like ephedra and ephedrine will cause heart palpitations.
Stay away from energy drinks, diet pills, and other stimulants.
Even caffeine can cause those symptoms in sensitive individuals.
So stay calm, relax, Don't eat to where you feel full, but instead eat to a feeling satisfaction.
Put on some relaxing music, burn some sweet smelling candles, do some deep breathing exercises and see if this helps.
Basically true...if you are an average active 18 y.o. You can go for a second opinion, or try to recall the last time you put hard weight on it or got thumped in that region.
I had this very same thing when I was a child, my parents left me alone one night to go to a friends house and the pain came on suddenly, I couldn't even get up to call my neighbor, it took me 15 minutes just to scoot to the floor and make my way across the room to the phone it was so bad.
I had it all night during my sleep and the next morning it was dull, better but a dull pain. I never had numbing in my arm but the chest thing was so brutal I truly thought I was going to die and WANTED to it hurt so bad.
I continued having them through my 20's not as often, now I am 40 and still have them once in a while usually prior to my menstrual cycle, and my daughter who is now 12 is having the same thing which I keep telling her she may "get it" soon.
I had x-rays as a kid, they told me growing pains, had EKG's and blood tests, even went to childrens hospital for tests and had to eat some nasty yogurt like paste. They found nothing.
If you have had an EKG and you monitor your Blood pressure, and it is normal you may just have what so many of us out here have, whatever it is- basically you can say it is hormonal as it often occurs prior to menstrual cycles.
Hope this helps- get an ekg if you hadn't had one- DEMAND it- I don't care what a person's age is, you are never too young to have an EKG. Your paying the doctors to do their job, if they don't want to do their job, find one who does.
PS: I agree with the post about anxiety- I suffered numerous attacks growing up, symptoms are shakey, nausea, chest pain or heart racing, sweating, crying, feel like you are going to die, feel overwhelmed.
Many hugs
see a doc
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