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You are here: Experts > Health/Fitness > Medical Specialists > Heart & Cardiology > type 1 heart block
Expert: David Richardson - 11/8/2009
Question
hello i am 14, 72 kg, 167 cm not taking any medication and have a normal blood pressure. about a month ago for no reason i had chest pain, stabbing pain in the heart, shortness of breath and dizziness for 3 days straight. I went to a doctor who took an x ray and blood tests which turned out fine and ordered an ECG. my heart rate was fast and had a holter moniter put on which said that my heart rate was still too fast. the doctor said i have type 1 heart block and is going to send me to a specialist soon but I have constant stabs in the heart and almost always short on breath. now I have non stop migraines that panadol wont help and cant sleep due to palpitations and heart pain. my mum wants to take me to the hospital as when i stand up i always get dizzy and only get migraines when iam sitting up or standing and sweat badly. iam scared to sleep in case i suffocate or my heart stop please help David as iam really desperate for a cure or treatment that can help me
Answer
Dear Jessica,
The most common cause of pain in a young person is cramping of the muscles in the chest wall. If you can modify the pain, make it better or worse, by pressing on the area that hurts, then you have proven that the pain is coming from your chest wall. Chest wall pain is a nuisance but no threat to life or health. At age below 45, chest pain is very unlikely to come from clogging of the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart. Your pain is probably chest wall, not heart.
Get someone to measure your blood pressure when you're standing quietly for 1,3 and 5 minutes. If your BP gets below 85, that's probably the cause of your dizziness. If it doesn't get below 85, pay attention to your breathing and breathe shallowly and slowly. Over breathing from anxiety can make you dizzy, tho it would do so even when you're not standing.
First degree heart block is no problem. It won't make your heart stop or cause you to suffocate or cause any trouble at all.
It would be sensible to get an echocardiogram to be sure your heart's structure and function are normal.
Please write back if this note doesn't answer all your questions.
David Richardson
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