Young person with chest pains after excessive exercise, sometimes after eating, heart problems in family?

Question

Hello, I am a 15 year old boy, and I have found, especially after running or sometimes eating even, that I develop a chest pain. It isn't like a heartburn, but more of a tightness, or a light pricking in my chest area. I found that I cannot run a full mile, and 1/2 mile is even hard. I am not extremely obese; extra baggage, but not fat. Heart problems run in my family...dad, age 53, 1 heart attack, uncle #1 age 48, 3 heart attacks, uncle #2, 2 heart attacks. (All still living). Their parents both died of heart failure/attacks. Anything that you guys can do to help would be appreciated.

Answer 1

you said you are'nt extremely obese,does that mean you are obese?,you say you have extra baggage but you're not fat.does that still mean you are overweight?the heart is a muscle,but unlike other muscles it has to work 24/7.any stoppage results in death.carrying extra body weight that is'nt muscle is very hard on the heart.the fact that you say heart problems run un your family means you are predisposed to encounter heart problems at some point in your lifetime.ekg tests and stress tests will allow physicians to see if irregular patterns exist in your sinus rhythem(heart beat)your condition could have something to do with the natural pacemaker which allows the electrical impulses to travel thru-out the heart.doctors may discover a type of cardio myopathy, where by the lining of one of your hearts ventricles thicken and/or develope scar tissue.you need to get to a doctor at all costs to insure that you don't have any serious condition.the thing you have in your favor is todays medical technology and the fact that you are only 15.if you are otherwise healthy you shoul'nt have any serious issues with arterial hardening or cholesterol buildup.as a side note,the myopathy i mentioned causes a restriction in the volume of blood pumped out of the heart.the chest pain would be as a result of a myopathetic heart working too hard

Answer 2

Tell your parents asap. They need to make an appointment with your family physician and at that point if your family Dr feels the need a referral to a cardiologist is also needed. Don't play with your heart you only have one. My 13 year old daughter has had open heart and is still under a cardiologists care and will be the remainder of her life. If you're really worried tonight go to your local emergency room. It's always better to be safe than sorry. As far as your father and your uncles having heart attacks...lifestyles play a very big part in health of the heart. Don't worry that you're going to have a heart attack because they did. It's not necessarily genetic.

Answer 3

Heartburn can actually cause pretty much any type of chest pain... especially pain after eating, needless to say!

But you do need to see your doctor right now. Tests s/he should run include EKG (electrocardiogram -- charts your heart's electrical rhythm) and stress test (pretty much an EKG performed while you exercise, which is when you say you're getting the pain).

Your doctor may also choose to perform ultrasound to visualize your heart directly.

I know how it feels, my father had a heart attack at 48, but fortunately was able to shape up and hasn't had problems since. Pretty much every passed man on his side of the family died of heart attack.

Answer 4

Hey, i'm in the same boat, my grandfather and grandmother both have had strokes, and i also have these kinds of chest pain, i belive it is normal, as long as exercise is not way over the top, such as maintaning 250bpm for half an hour, you should be fine. This isn't to say that you should start eating mc'donalds all day though. Just remember having so many cases of heart problems in your family means you have to take really good care of yourself.

Answer 5

Make sure you tell your doctor about these problems at your next physical exam. The fact that you feel it after eating suggests heartburn even though you say it is not. I wonder, do you have the same symptoms during gym class? If you do, you should be telling your gym teacher everytime it happens. Also, make sure your parents know about it too.