Thursday, February 16, 2012

Tuesday, September 30, 2008 sindhu asks

Q: TMt moderate bruce positive

symptom 65YR OLD FEMALE pain jaw left not associated with chest pain. jaw pain on climbing step. ekg normal echo good LV FUNCTION

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10/ 2/08 5:21pm

sindhu,

 

Thanks for your question. 

 

Though you are not having any symptoms in your chest, your jaw pain could indicate a problem with your heart, especially because your discomfort occurs with exertion.  I suggest you make an appointment with your physician for his/her evaluation.  Females can manifest symptoms of heart disease in more ways that males, and any symptom that might indicate a problem in the heart should be investigated fully.  You should have a treadmill stress test during which your heart will be monitored by a continuous electrocardiogram, as well as you vital signs.  This study should include a nuclear scan of your heart at peak exercise that is compared to a scan done at rest. 

 

The fact that LV function is good indicates that your heart is pumping normal with no sign of any damage.  But this does not rule out the presence of blockages in the arteries that feed the heart muscle (coronary artery disease).  Also, a normal EKG tells us that there has been no damage, and that all is OK at rest.  A stress test will tell what is happening when the heart is working during exertion. 

 

Having a stress test in this situation is very reasonable.  If your doctor does not agree, it may be time for another opinion from a cardiologist, or another primary care physician.

 

I hope this has been helpful.  Best wishes.

 

Martin Cane, M.D.

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