Can mini-stroke cause stabbing chest pain and breathlessness?

Question

Hi doctor,

A good friend of mine was headed to work one morning. He got a stabbing pain in his chest, and his vision went blurry. The pain went down his left arm and hand. It eased up, but the numbness stayed in his hand for about a week. He ignored it. A few nights later, he woke up gasping as if he could not catch his breath. Again, he ignored it. A few days later, at work, he experienced the same stabbing pain in his chest and the inability to catch his breath. Several minutes passed, and as always, he ignored it. He has been diagnosed with high blood pressure and was prescribed medication, which he takes rarely. What could all of this be? From what I read, it sounds like a mini-stroke. Please help.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I am really sorry to hear about it. Chest pain with radiation to arms associated with breathing difficulty and blurry vision points towards classical angina. According to the symptoms, a cardiac event is more likely than a stroke. As per the history mentioned by you, the patient is hypertensive and obese. Both are the risk factors for coronary artery disease. I would suggest going for a 2D echo test to rule out any lack of blood supply or any mild myocardial infarction, treadmill test, lipid profile, and echocardiogram. When done together, they have a sensitivity rate of more than 75 %. Apart from that, I would like to know if the patient is a smoker or diabetic. Also, is there any chest discomfort or breathlessness when walking fast or climbing upstairs?

I hope this helps.

Please revert so I can assist you further.

Thank you.