Back in 2001 I was diagnosed with high blood pressure and it was extremely high.....190/130 range. The cause was determined that I needed to deal with stress better and get more exercise. Said I need to get it down because my heart was enlarged due to having it high for an extended period of time. They said my arteries were fine but I needed to get my BP down. Took on a new job but I was promoted to a desk job last year so I wasn't getting the exercise like I was before. Started to gain weight again so I decided it was time to start a workout program.

I'm 5'10 and weigh about 205. I've cut back on my drinking over the past year and drink maybe once a month. Only time I have a cigar is when I am drinking which I know is bad for me and I am attempting to quit. I know have anxiety issues which is what gave me the high blood pressure in the first place.

I get these pains under my left breast now that has me stumped along with worried. I don't know whether they are from my heart or it's from a muscle that I may have strained while working out. I can go out and exercise, not get lightheaded, dizzy or any shorter of breath than expected while playing basketball/jogging etc. These pains don't last for an extended period of time but come and go frequently. The only way I can describe it is as a charlie horse but not as severe.

Now I'm in the situation where I am worried that something maybe wrong with me like clogged arteries/mini heart attacks/cardimyopathy but if I go back to the doc and he says it's a pulled muscle/anxiety like last time and it cost me another 7 K in test (I have no insurance) that is going to double my stress level.

The web certainly doesn't help matters any for someone like me because you type in anything for a symptom and it leads back to some type of heart disease.

Also, once your heart is enlarged it is for life or am I wrong? If that is the case then wouldn't exercise be bad for the heart in some ways since it works it even more? I know that exercise makes the heart larger but makes it so it doesn't have to work as hard at rest but I would not think this would be good for an already enlarged heart that was brought on by high blood pressue, CAD etc...