Wouldn't I at least have a weird heartbeat
if it were heart-related? I've had my
pulse checked quite a bit since the
breathing issues started and no one has
ever expressed any concern that it might
be a heart problem. I should also add that
I had a CAT scan to rule out blood clots
in my lungs and the results came back
normal.
My mother has me on her insurance until I
graduate college, so she knows all these
problems I'm having and she said she also
had breathing problems when she was my
age. But hers went untreated and they
eventually resolved themselves. So that
gives me a little hope that maybe I have
something that is not serious.
ETA: I did a little research
on heart problems that are characterized
by breathing problems and a couple of the
symptoms I display are those of heart
failure, so now I think I am getting
anxious.
But none of the
causes of heart failure really apply to me
- I've had my oxygen levels, heart rate
and blood pressure checked more than once
since this problem began and no one ever
expressed any concern that any of it was
abnormal (my oxygen levels were 98-99
percent at any given time). I know my BP
is slightly higher than the normal -
something like 123/80, so I can't imagine
that would constitute hypertension, and I
have never had heart problems before. It
can't be my age - I'm only 20 and there is
absolutely no history of heart problems in
my family. I also know I don't have
diabetes, arrhythmia, defective heart
valves, and so forth.
I was just thinking, though...if this was
something very bad, wouldn't it have
gotten worse over time and not better? My
breathing problems have gotten better
since they started. When I first had them,
I had chest tightness and pain, found
myself much more short of breath
(especially at night) and once or twice
felt my heart beating very hard, where I
could place a finger against my chest and
feel a noticeable hard thumping that was
my heart. I realize these are signs of
heart failure now. Since then, though, the
chest pain and the loud thumping have
stopped and now I have mild but constant
shortness of breath.
My problems are also not exacerbated by
physical exertion - I can walk five or
more miles in one day and then go home and
play DDR (if you don't know, it involves
lots of movement and is a good cardio
workout) and I won't feel anymore out of
breath than I did before I developed
breathing issues.
In fact, just today I played DDR and I
took less time to recover from the
exercise than I would have about a year
ago. Wouldn't a heart problem make it very
difficult for me to breathe following
physical activity? My problem is my
shortness of breath remains constant but
rarely worsens under any circumstances;
whether I am at rest or I'm walking,
jumping, or moving in general. When I went
through bouts of severe shortness of
breath, I was completely at rest. I was
sitting and trying to relax...and yet I
can walk six miles without resting and the
only pain I'll feel is in my legs and feet
(which is to be expected).
In any case, I will ask my doctor if he
thinks it may be a possible heart problem
because I don't want to have a heart
attack - not now, not ever.
).
Are breathing problems by themselves
indicative of anxiety? Why jump
immeidately to that conclusion?
