Dr. Muhammad Zohaib Siddiq
Cardiology
The following is an actual conversation between an iCliniq user and a doctor that has been reviewed and published as a Premium Q&A.
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Patient's Query
Hello doctor,
I have questions about high pulse rates with palpitations and chest spasms. I am 27 years old (weight 100 kilograms and 172 centimeters in height) and have smoked cigarettes for the past 13 years but quitted last year. I am not on any medication but have previously been on antacid PPI and allergy medicine. I started antacids because the doctor thought that the spasms from the chest were due to stomach acid. I have felt discomfort in my chest and a lot of palpitations since the pandemic started, and I stopped being active. I have had extreme stress in my life in the last two years. Kindly help. Thank you.
Hello,
Welcome to icliniq.com.
Palpitations can be due to many causes like fast heart rate, slow heart rate, irregular heartbeats, overcautious, etc. Some allergy medicines do cause rapid heart rates. Being overweight is a risk factor for heart disease also. Do you have a cough or breathlessness? Get an electrocardiography (ECG) done, especially when you have palpitations. Please share an electrocardiogram (ECG) if you have already done it. Thank you.
Patient's Query
Hello doctor,
Thank you for your response. I had anxiety issues and stopped taking medicines for anxiety two years ago. After that, I noticed a lot of troubles and symptoms. I know I am overweight and I am trying to lose weight, but it is hard when I cannot work out, as I get spasms in my chest if I press myself too hard. I took a 24-hour ECG one day back and am waiting for the results. My queries are, What kind of tests should I take? I often take ECGs and have now taken a 24-hour ECG. I feel chest discomfort and palpitations when I stand for hours for cooking. Why? I do not know if it is due to how I bend or move. However, I can go for long walks without these symptoms. I have no cough and breathlessness, just a little difficulty if I am walking outside a lot or walking fast. Two years back, my doctor told me all these symptoms were due to acid reflux. I had taken PPIs for two years, and my palpitations, heart rate, and everything is worse now. I do not know what to do. Kindly help. Thank you.
Hello,
Welcome back to icliniq.com.
Twenty-four hours electrocardiogram (ECG) will record cardiac rhythm for 24 hours and tell the cause of palpitations. You can ask for the video record report and send it for further reference. Sometimes, chest tightness can be due to asthma. Asthma is an allergy of the respiratory tract. It causes chest pain, cough, breathlessness, etc. One type of asthma is exercise-induced asthma which occurs only during exertion. Asthma is diagnosed by listening to the chest with a stethoscope while the patient breathes. Then spirometry can be done and assess the response to asthma inhalers. Regarding gastric acidity, acid sometimes refluxes back from the stomach into the esophagus and causes symptoms of heartburn and upper abdominal pain or burning sensation. Sometimes reflux reaches the throat and causes cough. Acid reflux does not directly affect the heart to alter the rhythm. Send your electrocardiogram (ECG) and Holter test (24-hour electrocardiogram) once you receive the result. Thank you.
Patient's Query
Hello doctor,
Thank you for your response. I will send you the 24-hour ECG reports when I get them from the hospital. Thank you.
Hello,
Welcome back to icliniq.com.
Okay, you can send me the reports when you get them for further follow-ups. Thank you.
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Cardiology
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