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About David Richardson
Expertise
Adult heart function and disease. Not very good about children lesss than 12. Hypertension is o.k. Heart rhythm a special interest.

Experience
Certified in cardiology by the American Board of Internal Medicine. Was chairman of division of cardiology at the Medical College of Virginia. Am now mostly retired.

Organizations
Fellow of American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology and member of American Physiological Society..

Publications
Circulation, American Heart Journal, Hypertension.

Education/Credentials
M.D. from Harvard Medical School. Residency training at Yale Uhniversity School of Medicine and Medical College of Virginia.

Awards and Honors
Gold Heartt Award from American Heart Association in 1995.

 
   

You are here:  Experts > Health/Fitness > Medical Specialists > Heart & Cardiology > Hope you can help

Heart & Cardiology - Hope you can help


Expert: David Richardson - 11/11/2009

Question
I HAD ONE EPISODE YESTERDAY AND ABOUT 4 TODAY. MY HEART STARTS TO BEAT FORCEFULLY FOR A FEW SECONDS AND I GET SHORT OF BREATH. I CAN ACTUALLY FEEL THE HEARTBEAT IN THE FRONT PART OF MY CHEST, IT'S A DULL PAIN. I'M ABOUT 5'5, 180LBS, I JUST HAD A BABY ABOUT 10MTHS AGO AND I DONT EXCERCISE AT ALL. IS THIS SOMETHING I SHOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT  

Answer
Dear Donitha,

You're probably feeling skipped heart beats.  Each skip is followed by avery forceful beat.  Skipped beats are normal heart activity, no threat to life or health in someone with normal EKG and echo.  About half of us have them, they are easy to understand as normal from knowledge of the heart's electrical system, and they don't mean you will ever get heart disease or any catastrophe.  They are truly harmless.  Anxiety and panic make them more frequent.

To allay your concern, I would see a doctor and ask for an EKG and echocardiogram to be sure your heart's stricture and function are normal.

Please write back if this note doesn't answer all your questions.

David Richardson

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