my mums been having heart pains?

Question

my mums been having bad heart pains and all down her left arm for 4 weeks now, the doctor rushed her up to a & e and they did blood test, she wont tell any of us what the results are but yet she is scared of being on her own when her partner is at work, she says she dont wanna worry us all so keeps quiet, deep down i know she thinks its a heart attack that she had but she wont tell us, what else could be wrong with her, she's in her 50's a smoker and works 50 hours a week, she has to go for test on a tredmill too, i'm scared as i dont wanna loose her, the last pain she had was at 6 in the morning and she woke up with it and thats when she went upto a&e has it scared her

she isn't over weight, but has lost a lot of weight in the past 12 months

she's also a nurse in a nursing home and knows all the details so therfore she knows all the ins and outs about health problems

Answer 1

Cancer/ heart disease/ emphysema/ various smoking problems. Cigarettes are a terrible thing.

Check this out, it has information about the exact symptoms you are naming.
http://www.wramc.amedd.army.mil/Patients/diseases/wh/c7/Pages/s4.aspx

Answer 2

It sounds like your Mum has developed Angina, her symptoms are almost identical to what I myself have experienced in the last week. I haven't had the treadmill test yet but the blood results and ECC indicate unstable Angina. I was given Asprin and Bisoprolol for my heart and a GTN Spray to try and stop the pains + Simvastatin to reduce cholestrol levels. Try and find out if your Mum has been prescribed any of these. If not then her condition may not be serious enough though obviously it is still worrying. She needs to give up the Ciggies, get at least a good half hours excercise (a good walk) and eat plenty of fresh fruit and Vegetables. Let her know that you are worried and would feel better knowing what is happening and if the pain recurs and doesn't go quickly (in 5-10 mins) don't wait for her to decide what to do, call an ambulance for her!
Remember she is feeling scared right now and needs your support but try not to treat her like an invalid or become overly protective. I'm sure once she has a firm diagnosis she'll feel better about things herself. Try not to get too stressed yourself either it is a manageable condition and as a care-worker herself (as am I) she should know that!
Good Luck to both you and your Mum!

Answer 3

Mercy! Let her know that by not telling you, she is putting stress on you and that can affect YOUR heart. If she is going in for a stress test (the treadmill) it will show the effectiveness of her heart. Women's heart symptoms are very different from men's. If she is a smoker, the doctor will look for her lung capacity as well. Or at least should. She should have what is called a PFT (pulmonary functions test). It tells how well the lungs are working and their oxygen capacity. Nursing homes are very stressful to work in and being a nurse and on your feet is a nightmare at times. It may be something like an arrythmia (irregular heartbeat) and may just be uncomfortable depending on which chambers of the heart it affects. If she was in the hospital and it was a heart attack, I would assume (most doctors do) that they would keep her for at least 2 days and perform an angiogram or cardiac catheter on her heart to determine the extent of the damage. Many smokers with chest pain develop congestive heart failure. The heart does not beat effectively and fluids build up in the lungs. Feet swell, also. Medications are effective in helping the heart beat more effectively and diuretics help reduce the fluid. A low sodium diet is also recommended. Good luck to the both of you!!

Answer 4

The chest pain is serious, your mum may have coronary artery disease, there is no way to know for sure what her condition is until she has had the stress test (that is the part about walking on the treadmill). She will probably require additional testing before the doctors know for sure what is wrong with her and how best to treat her. The good news is that this is a very treatable condition and your mum has a good chance of a successful recovery. In the mean time she has to quit smoking right now, there is no choice for her in that matter. If your mum is overweight she should also get her weight down, that will also help both her heart and her general health

Answer 5

Ok. First thing, the hospital didnt keep your mum in, so it cant be that bad so try and not worry yourself into having a heart attack yourself. easier said than done when its your mum I know!

Next, if she is going for a treadmill test then they obviously suspect a cardiac problem- But thats not the end of the world. most likely they are checking to see if there is any narrowing of the arteries that feed the heart (angina) or any long term damage that they will need to treat. With medication angina is quite manageable, and people have successfull heart bypasses every day. this isnt necessarily the end of her world, or yours - even if it is something they need to treat further.

She is bound to have got a fright when she had to attend hospital. That is probably why she is nervous just now, and being told you have a cardiac problem is frightening so she is probably trying to shield you all from it thinking it is all more serious than it is!

When she was in hospital they will have told her to cut out the fags and eat healthily, so dont nag her about that, she wont need any extra stress just now! Just be as supportive as you can until she has the tests all done and you all know exactly what is happening.

Now the serious bit. Not to be a scare mongerer but the bit you have to get through to her is to phone an ambulance straight away if she gets any further chest pain, rule of thumb is if it lasts 15 min or more, or doesnt ease with GTN (if she is prescribed it) then dial 999.

Dont bother with GP or NHS 24 / Direct, they will just talk to you for 20 min then send an ambulance anyway. We carry the stuff to treat you mum, assess her condition, get rid of her pain and get her to hospital. If you need us, call us!

Im sure everything will be fine, stick in there for your mum's sake and I really hope it will all turn out alright.

Answer 6

If they did blood work, they would have checked for cardiac enzymes. This is a marker that she HAD a heart attack, even if it was a small one.

Women present with heart attacks different than men. Many times in women they don't have heart pain..they have anxiety, or other symptoms.

First, she's not doing you any favors by not sharing and you need to tell her so...very lovingly. You need to know. Just tell her you're more worried not knowing than if she would keep you informed.

She has a lifestyle that sets her up for heart disease, but also stress. Just went through the chest pains bit myself and for me it was anxiety..it may be as simple as that. It may not.

Just come clean with her about how worried you are and that you need to know.
Good luck to you and your Mum.

Answer 7

Sounds suspiciously like her heart... She must do something if she is frightened... she must stop smoking, stop work, And see her GP regularly.... A lot of the hospital tests can tell if she has had a heart attack but not if she is likely to get one... The treadmill test is one together with a sound scan than can look for problems before they happen... If her heart is damaged at all , possibl by smoking, it is possible to relieve the condition with medication but she will have to help herself a bit... Not over do anything.. Wish her well though.

Answer 8

I'm not sure what the "a&e" is but it is very common for women to miss heart attacks since the symptoms usually manifest differently. She could have heart problems. That's prob why they have her doing a stress test (treadmill test). You should sit down and talk with her about what's going on with her. Let her know that you want to help and that it concerns you more that she isn't telling you.

Good luck with everything

Answer 9

This must be difficult for you all. Try to persuade her that its more worrying for you when she doesn't tell you things. I'm sure I don't need to tell you that the smoking needs to go - its the most helpful and sensible thing she can do for herself. The doctors will have already told her this. Maybe you can help-out my getting some good 'stopping-smoking' info together for her from the web. If she gets bad chest pains again - keep her sat-up and call 999 for an ambulance - don't hesitate, even if she tells you not to call an ambulance.

Answer 10

It sounds like she did have a heart attack. When this happened to my dad, they did a test on the treadmill in the hospital to see how his heart worked under pressure, and he was then sent in for a double by-pass operation.

As long as the doctors are aware of this, I am sure she will be fine. You need to be firm (but loving) with her, and tell her that no matter what the problem is, she needs to tell you as you are worried sick about her. She probably doesn't want to worry you, and that's why she's saying nothing, but you need to reassure her that telling will ease her, and your, suffering.

Go with her for the treadmill test...even if she categorically refuses for you to go!

Good luck and be strong.

Answer 11

It sounds like she needs a byapss operation. They're routine these days and shouldn't present a problem to her. Try to get her to give up smoking and lose weight - if she is overweight.

Try not to worry too much. The doctors will sort her problem out - my MIL had a triple bypass a few years ago and it worked well for her.

I hope she feels better soon.