Resolved question:
I'm having a mild discomfort in my chest. It's so mild, I don't even think I should call it pain. It's been pretty steady for 3 days now. Most of the time it's on my left, just under the chest. So far left it's basically on my side under my armpit. Once in a blue moon I can feel it on my right and that's closer to the center. Most of the time movement (exercise or walking) has made it go away. My wife and I were talking about it as I was doing the dishes right now and now it hurts. Barely, but still it hurts. I am a pretty high stress guy and I have a terrible diet. I have a desk job, so I live a pretty sedentary life style. All of this I'm trying to change, but it hasn't been easy. In any case, any idea what's going on? Am I just suffering a panic attack or is this something more serious?
Submitted:
4 Days
Category:
Cardiologist
Hello,
Thank you for your query at doctorspring.com.
The description of your pain vague localized sometimes to left lower chest under the armpits and occasionally to the right doesn't exactly fit with the description of cardiac chest pain. Also the fact that the pain disappears on activity like walking or doing heavy work the possibility of it being a cardiac pain less likely. Even the fact that you're just 29 years of age and that you are non smoker non hypertensive and non diabetic also reduces your possibility of having a cardiac chest pain.
Only risk factor that you have is that you are slightly overweight and do not exercise much. Does the pain increase on moments of chest or does it pain when you press locally on the area of pain? if so the pain maybe musculoskeletal.
Though the possibility of you having cardiac chest pain is remarkably low we need to be sure and have evidence on paper that this is not a cardiac chest pain. Hence we need to get some tests done. I would suggest that to rule out cardiac etiology of your pain you should get an ecg done when you are having pain and if that is also normal then you should get your stress test done to rule out cardiac etiology. AlSo you should get a chest xray done to rule out other causes of chest pain. only after ruling out other causes of chest pain can we say that the pain is due to anxiety or panic attack.
Hope this helps, please get back if you have any queries.
Regards
Dr Vivek Mahajan
DM Cardiology