Gymnast with possible problems

[dante286]

Ok, so I train gymnastics and aikido (marshal art) have trained athletics, basketball, I play football (English one), volleyball, I train for flexibility and strength every day...........so I'm all around, a pretty active and I'd dare to say fit. I have no overweight issues (75 kg and around 183 cm tall) but recently, in the past month, I have noticed that I've got a bit of a problem.
After every stretching/exercising at home, I notice that if I sit, or rest after that my heart starts pounding a bit stronger and I get pretty aware of it. I've even had some pain in my chest (though I'm not sure if it's in the chest, or are those just surface pains)
I've measured my blood pressure and it's slightly elevated (when resting or not) around 140/90 sometimes higher, sometimes lower, but that's usually around that. My heart rate is normal I think, after exercises it usually goes over 80, but never too high.

Family anamnesis:

My grandpa has a low blood pressure, but my grandmother has died out of cardiac arest and she had had blood pressure problems. From my mum's side: She has a high blood pressure and she takes pills for it, my grandma had a pace maker put last year and she has a high blood pressure for which she takes medications.

I'm a 0 blood type (if that has something to do with anything)
I'm 18 years old.

Ohh and one more thing, I have noticed the exact same pain once I took a punch in my back, guy "tackled" my with his shoulder on basketball game.

I'm really worried about my health and my future in sports.
I'm really desperate, but I don't want to go to hospital, because my parents would find out about it, since they work in hospital, and I don't want them to worry about me, they already have enough on their mind.

Thanks in advance. :)

[achillea]

No one on this forum is a physician (though most of us have a LOT of experience with physicians), but reading through your worries, what I get a sense of is that you have odd sensations in the chest when you are at rest--that is, when you are stretching--as opposed to when you are active.  Also, you note a blood pressure that may be slightly elevated for your age.

From personal experience and from 'listening' to other posters on this board, I strongly suspect you are having what is called 'palpitations.'  You can google the term, but essentially it is an awareness of strange heartbeats.  It is important to note that everyone--every single person--has odd heartbeats, but the thing is that only the hypersensitive amongst us seem to notice them to any extent.  Also, being aware of them seems to push many of us over into a needlessly anxious state in which we get fixated on these weird thumps and bumps, sometimes to the extent that it really interferes with the quality of our lives.

In sum, you ARE going to have to go to a doctor to have your heart checked out.  No one here can do that for you, and it is essential to find out what is going on with your ticker.  In fact, given your age and general health, nothing bad is going on, but you have to talk with a professional to be on the safe side.

Nerve up and do it.

[MichelleP_3811]

You are likely fine.  The blood pressure is something that needs to be checked.  It can vary but a reading of 140/80 is at the low range of hypertension.  Is it this reading often or did you just notice it a couple of times?  Did your grandparents have typical heart disease caused by clogged arteries or where the structural problems with their hearts?  If their high BP is typical it is not likely you would have to worry at this point in time but I am with achillea.  If you sense something is amiss then just go and get checked out.  You don't need to go to the ER to do this.  Can you make an appointment with a doctor?  Though to be honest if I was your parent I would want to know what is going on with you.  They love you and I am sure they would want to know you are being cared for properly.  You are more than likely fine but just go get checked out to be safe.  Otherwise you may just keep fretting about it.  Take care and keep us posted on how you are doing.

[dante286]

I thought of he same things but wanted to check if it isn't something else.
Thank you two very much, those things that you said meant a lot to me. I will go to a doctor for sure, but I'll do it on my own, for now, I don't want my parents to worry for nothing. But if something really is wrong, or something else is the matter (since palpitations themselves aren't that big of a problem, it's why they are there, that's bothering me, or that can be the problem) they will now for sure.
I really worry for my future, and hope that nothing major is wrong with me, since I was meaning to get into med school this summer. :(
Anywho, thank you very much, this means a world to me :)