If you have new chest pain, see your doctor. That's the most important thing I'm going to write today. Plain and simple.
Some people are embarrassed that they're making a big deal out of nothing. And to be honest, less than half of the new patients that I see with chest pain actually have pain due to heart disease. But, I have encountered a man in his mid 30's who attributed the pain in his chest that he got whenever he exercised to "gerd", or reflux. At 37 years old, he had a heart attack and underwent emergent bypass surgery.
Many things cause chest pain, other than heart disease -- a pulled muscle, inflammation of the cartilage of the ribs, esophageal reflux, esophageal spasm, anxiety, depression, injury, amongst other possible causes. But do not wait -- get it checked out. See your primary care doctor, and if needed, come see me or another cardiologist for an evaulation.
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Tuesday, April 2, 2019. 12:45 pm. Providence Holy Cross Medical Center, Continuing Medical Education lecture.
Cardiologist, Vegan, Ultra-Marathon Runner and Ironman Triathlete.
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18663 Ventura Blvd, Suite 202, Tarzana CA 91356
818-938-9505
Heather Shenkman, MD FACC
- VeganHeartDoc
- Los Angeles, California, United States
- I am an Interventional Cardiologist practicing in the Los Angeles area. I believe that lifestyle -- including diet and exercise -- are crucial parts of our health and well-being. Here, I share my insights on medicine, ideas and information about vegan diets, and my triathlon training adventures.
About Dr. Shenkman
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Call 818-938-9505 for appointments:
18663 Ventura Blvd, Suite 202Tarzana, CA 91356
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DISCLAIMER
The statements and opinions on this blog are mine alone. They do not represent my practice or any other organization. Further, they are not a substitute for care from your own physician.
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- How I Became a Triathlete
- Statins for Primary Prevention -- My Thoughts
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- Article About Me (from company newsletter)
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Heather Shenkman MD FACC
18663 Ventura Blvd, Suite 202, Tarzana CA 91356
6 comments:
May be good advice, but isn't it true that in the majority of cases you will get an EKG, told you are fine and made feel like you wasted your 3-4 hours in the office, to tell you how much you weigh.
Anon, not sure what to say in response to that other than better to be safe than sorry. When I see patients, and I presume the same for other cardiologists, we determine whether your chest pain is cardiac or noncardiac, and in addition to that assess your overall cardiovascular risk, which includes weight.
Absolutely better to be safe than sorry! My grandpa was having chest pains, a trip to the ER discovered he had 90% blockage his arteries. After bypass surgery he was still having pain. They finally diagnosed acid reflux, but had the pain not been in his chest near his heart, we'd have never known how bad of shape his heart was in. He is very active too, thankfully he has improved his diet a lot. At 82, he's still playing at least 9 holes of golf a day!
Maybe at the ER, they will indeed look carefully. A trip to a cardiologist will most likely waste your time.
Anon -- I disagree completely. The role of the ER is to make sure that you do not have a life-threatening condition. Beyond that, and several thousands of dollars later, they often do not discern the cause of chest pain. A cardiologist in an office setting has more time to sit down with you and figure what's going on, even if the chest pain is not cardiac.
The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned. See the link below for more info.
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www.ufgop.org
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