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How safe is Echocardiogram with doppler? Shortness of breath
Well I am going to have an echocardiogram and I am a bit nervous about safety. I read some stuff online saying that ultrasounds are controversial because of gas bubbles and heat damaging cells. Are they actually safe?
Do you think this test and an ekg are enough to know I am ok? These fears are messing with my life.
My cardiologist said her suspicion is low for me since I don't get short of breath while walking and my ekg was normal.(EKG did show tachycardia but we were both pretty sure it was psychological because I felt scared and felt my heart start to race) My cholesterol is in normal range, no diabetes, normal enough blood pressure. I am also in my 20s. Normal weight, no smoking or drinking. When I run I do cough up stuff and feel hard to breathe. I think this is just exercise induced asthma.
The symptoms i am concerned about:
1. Shortness of breath on planes- I've had a few times where in a long flight I will gasp for air and feel light headed. This usually happens only once and late into the flight. Last time i felt short of breath in flight I wasn't nervous but I felt a pause in my breathing beforehand. I have had gasping for air episodes with sudden bumpy acending at the beginning of the flight and sudden drops during the flight (This may be psychological hyperventalating, my fear was stagnant hypoxia or hypoxia ) Flights also trigger sleep central apneas where I gasp awake, from what I've read these happen in healthy individuals during high altitude.
I really don't want to be afraid for my health when flying. I considered getting a pulse oxomiter to maybe do some self testing... But I kinda would feel bad for doing that.
2.I have had a few jolting awake gasping for air episodes like I forgot to breathe. It is not often or common for me, I believe it is sleep onset central apnea which can happen in healthy people. Real central sleep apnea usually happens in groups of five+ per hour.
3.I have had 3 or so episodes of laughing that triggered feeling short of breath and feeling lightheaded. It happened when I was hunched over, I laughed very hard then felt I wasn't getting enough air. I have felt light headed from laughing itself without shortness of breaths few times as well. Possible laughter induced pre syncope? From what I've read it's usually not an issue but could mean dangerous arrhythmia. Cardiologist did not seem concerned.
The cardiologist only expressed concern for the airplane gasping. She said I should do an altitude intolerance test, but my doctor said no and that he had never heard of them.
The most concerning symptoms i had were when I was a teenager I had pain under my breast during breathing in that felt better when I leaned forward, I also had pain in collarbone and neck.
It's possible it could have been pericarditis or pluerisy.. Prob not a heart attack cuz I was young and active at the time. My cardiologist said she doubted i had pericarditis because I didn't go to a doctor.. I wanted to go but no one took me seriously. I also read most cases of pericarditis clear on their own without complications. (Of course I would have preferred treatment and a actual diagnosis.) Around this same time in high school my feet used to burn and be red when standing up. This doesn't happen anymore so the cardiologist said she doubted it was PAD.
Anyway I decided after two months of avoiding and keeping it to myself to write all this on here. Do you have any knowledge to impart on me that will help ease my fears? I think I am reading into this stuff too much,but at the same time the possibility of sickness scares me immensely.
Do you think this test and an ekg are enough to know I am ok? These fears are messing with my life.
My cardiologist said her suspicion is low for me since I don't get short of breath while walking and my ekg was normal.(EKG did show tachycardia but we were both pretty sure it was psychological because I felt scared and felt my heart start to race) My cholesterol is in normal range, no diabetes, normal enough blood pressure. I am also in my 20s. Normal weight, no smoking or drinking. When I run I do cough up stuff and feel hard to breathe. I think this is just exercise induced asthma.
The symptoms i am concerned about:
1. Shortness of breath on planes- I've had a few times where in a long flight I will gasp for air and feel light headed. This usually happens only once and late into the flight. Last time i felt short of breath in flight I wasn't nervous but I felt a pause in my breathing beforehand. I have had gasping for air episodes with sudden bumpy acending at the beginning of the flight and sudden drops during the flight (This may be psychological hyperventalating, my fear was stagnant hypoxia or hypoxia ) Flights also trigger sleep central apneas where I gasp awake, from what I've read these happen in healthy individuals during high altitude.
I really don't want to be afraid for my health when flying. I considered getting a pulse oxomiter to maybe do some self testing... But I kinda would feel bad for doing that.
2.I have had a few jolting awake gasping for air episodes like I forgot to breathe. It is not often or common for me, I believe it is sleep onset central apnea which can happen in healthy people. Real central sleep apnea usually happens in groups of five+ per hour.
3.I have had 3 or so episodes of laughing that triggered feeling short of breath and feeling lightheaded. It happened when I was hunched over, I laughed very hard then felt I wasn't getting enough air. I have felt light headed from laughing itself without shortness of breaths few times as well. Possible laughter induced pre syncope? From what I've read it's usually not an issue but could mean dangerous arrhythmia. Cardiologist did not seem concerned.
The cardiologist only expressed concern for the airplane gasping. She said I should do an altitude intolerance test, but my doctor said no and that he had never heard of them.
The most concerning symptoms i had were when I was a teenager I had pain under my breast during breathing in that felt better when I leaned forward, I also had pain in collarbone and neck.
It's possible it could have been pericarditis or pluerisy.. Prob not a heart attack cuz I was young and active at the time. My cardiologist said she doubted i had pericarditis because I didn't go to a doctor.. I wanted to go but no one took me seriously. I also read most cases of pericarditis clear on their own without complications. (Of course I would have preferred treatment and a actual diagnosis.) Around this same time in high school my feet used to burn and be red when standing up. This doesn't happen anymore so the cardiologist said she doubted it was PAD.
Anyway I decided after two months of avoiding and keeping it to myself to write all this on here. Do you have any knowledge to impart on me that will help ease my fears? I think I am reading into this stuff too much,but at the same time the possibility of sickness scares me immensely.
Well, I had two in the beginning and end of 2018. All went well and the cardiologist said: "Every thing looks normal. You are OK and don't have to make another appointment". I should add that I have high Cholesterol and an RBBB. I quit taking Statin drugs because of the side effects six years ago. But, in the end, as far as you are concerned, nothing that I write here will alleviate your concerns unless you learn how to control your anxiety.
1 Comments
I appreciate your response. Id rather be told I'm paranoid than sick.
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