AboutDavid 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.
I've been experiencing heartbeat sensations, sometimes a flutter, but usually just an awareness of my own heartbeat. Sometimes it feels like a heavier sensation and sometimes I have an indigestion pain. It doesn't get worse with exercise or anything that I can tell. It just comes and goes. It is driving me crazy. I saw a Dr. in the ER about a month ago and my pulse, blood pressure, and the monitor they hooked me to were all normal. He didn't seem concerned about my heart at all. I have a history of heart disease in my family but I do not smoke, I'm 32 (female), I exercise fairly regularly. I'm not on any medications or taking anything other than vitamins. I was diagnosed with a stomach ulcer but it improved with medication, could that be flaring up again and causing this?
I'm wondering if this could all be due to anxiety and worry or if it could be an underlying heart issue? Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks!
Joy
Answer Dear Joy,
Stomach ulcer wouldn't directly make your heart beat hard, but might if the ulcer pain is severe or causes anxiety. Measure your pulse rate at wrist when you feel your heart beating hard. Pulse rate betwee 50 and 140 is normal. What does "fllutter" mean? If you mean your heart skips a beat, that's normal too. If you mean your heart beats very fast (150 or above) or if it beats rapidly and irregularly for a minute or more, then you should report that to your doctor.
Please write back if this note doesn't answer all your questions well.
