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Hello, i am a 50 year old female smoker. I have a strong...

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Guest
Guest

Hello,

i am a 50 year old female smoker. I have a strong family history of heart failure from my mothers side of the family.

I get chest pains across my entire chest and shortness of breath. My first episode happened about 10 years ago it woke me one night with a feeling of great pressure on my chest and pain, I didn't seek medical help it did accur a few more times but I was able to cope.

Then appoximately 3 years ago i started to get regular chest pains and shortness of breath. i did seek medical advise and was sent for a complete check up, they done intencive xrays on my heart and tredmill tests, all come back clear and I was give a clean bill of health; however i still had the pains and ignored them putting it down to stress.

Over the past 8 months the pain and tightness has become more severe and I have on several occaions seen my doctor, only to be told it was nothing to worry about. I have been diagnosed with high colesterol and high blood pressure.

I had a rough week-end some three weeks back and went to my doctor on the Monday Morning, it was found my blood pressure was extremely high as was my heart rate. I was sent to the rapid chest pain clinic for tests. On the cardiologist first examination she told me in her opinion i was fine but advised me to have the tredmill teats again just to be sure; this sadly showed a problem with the heart of some kind and I am now going in on the 4th April for a Coronary Angiopasty, If a blockage is found i will either have a baloon incerted or surgery )I am hopful this is not the case) I am on all kinds of medication now for blood pressure and heart and aslo the Nitrolingual spray for Angina. The medication has made me feel awful, tired, dizzy, sickness, and I am still getting the pain. I have to say the spray does give me releive. I have decided not to take all the medication that makes me feel so bad and only take the asprin and spray for now. I am very concerned of this Angioplasty proceedure as it entails a small tube being incerted through the groin or arm up to the heart. Any comments greatly welcomed. Thank you for reading this. I wish you all well Caroline smilesmile

[i:7f04184eeb]This message was automatically imported from the original Patient Experience[/i:7f04184eeb]

0 likes, 3 replies

3 Replies

  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    [color=indigo:463d015cdb][/color:463d015cdb][b:463d015cdb] This sounds like a possible angina to me. I have to say to you that whenever you get any sort of chest pain you must seek medical advice. Its not worth risking your life.[/b:463d015cdb]
  • sue182
    sue182

    Posted

    I am 56 yr old smoker, female, Artist

    Have unexplained chest pain in Right upper back - had tests

    Hope all went well - u OK now?

    Sue

  • Guest
    Guest

    Posted

    The heart is an organ made of strong muscle. In order to work effectively it needs to receive a constant supply of oxygen and nutrients, which are delivered by the blood. The blood reaches these muscles through tiny vessels called the coronary arteries.

    Problems such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol can cause blockages in the coronary arteries. If the blockage is incomplete, this causes episodes where the heart isn't getting enough oxygen. When this happens, chest pain is felt. Episodic pain of this type is called angina. If the blockage is complete then no blood can get through. The area of muscle supplied by this blocked vessel has no oxygen supply and can die. This is a heart attack.

    It is important that you have the angioplasty as if there is the beginning of a blockage, they will be able to deal with it early and prevent the blockage from getting worse and possibly causing a heart attack.

    The people who carry out this procedure are highly skilled. They will have performed it hundreds of times. You will be sedated and given an anaesthetic. You will not feel a thing during the procedure. Afterwards, you will be given pain killers and antibiotics. You will be followed-up by a Cardiologist (heart specialist) who will make sure that everything is healing well.

    With regards to your medications, if they are giving you bad side-effects, then talk to your GP. There are lots of different drugs on the market so you can switch to see if there's one more suited to you. Although its not nice taking drugs, remember that the consequences of not taking them are far worse! Similarly, if you feel the spray isn't working, tell your GP and he/she can prescribe something better for you.

    Otherwise, you need to take steps to look after your heart:

    - a diet low in fat will help to lower your cholesterol, as will exercise. There are so many books with healthy meals in to give you lots of options. Don't think of it as dieting, more as eating smarter! Exercising more doesn't mean you should be running marathons, just walking up and down the stairs in your house 5 times extra each day can make a huge difference!

    - quitting smoking will not only help your heart, but also your lungs, brain, teeth and wallet! Get in touch with the NHS Stop Smoking service for free help and advice.

    I hope this has been helpful and I wish you all the best with your treatment. If you have children or grandchildren, use them as your reason to improve your heart and stay healthier for longer!

    M

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