I have on and off chest pain radiating to neck and jaw. Please interpret my ECG.

Question

Hello doctor,

I have chest pain for more than one month, on and off radiating to neck and jaw sometimes. I also get pain in both shoulders sometimes. I am diabetic and hypertensive. Please explain my ECG reading. I am currently on Irbesartan and Metformin.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Your ECG is fine (attachment removed to protect patient identity). There are no significant abnormalities seen in ECG (electrocardiogram). Machine generated report mentioned at the top is frequently inaccurate so not to get panic with it. Now in cardiac pain, the pain usually occurs on exertion and relieves with rest. This is very classical of cardiac pain if it persists for a few minutes and does not last round the clock more than 1-2 days. Now if the pain does not have such characteristic then it may either be related to cervical spondylosis or gastric reflux. If you have any bloating, burping, heartburn, or upper abdominal pain, then it may be related to gastric reflux. Or if this pain increases on neck movements, associated with tingling, numbness sensation in arms then it may be related to cervical pain. However, considering the risk factors like DM (diabetes mellitus), HTN (hypertension), it is better to rule out the possibility of cardiac pain. So you should undergo echo and if normal then treadmill test.

Answer 2

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

It is borderline. It is unlikely to be a source of pain. Large aortic aneurysms may cause pain which would be dull aching or pulsatile and would be persistent. So aorta is unlikely to be a cause for your pain.