could there be something wrong with my heart?
When I was a teenager I would have severe chest pains while running, playing sports, etc. My blood pressure would also drop like itdoes now whenever i am in any kind of pain. I am 27 now and my 2 year old son has been diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. and i have heard tht it is hereditary. Could he have gotten it from me and if so what do I need to do?
Given your past symptoms, the inheritance pattern of this condition, and your son’s diagnosis it is very possible that you also have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HOCM). HOCM is autosomal dominant—meaning anyone with the gene has some form of the disease, though there is a range of severity as it is passed from one generation to the next. You should have an echocardiogram and you may want to see a geneticist to be tested for the variant of HOCM your son has. Only about 25% of first-degree relatives (mom, dad, or sibling) of someone with HOCM will have evidence of the disease on an echocardiogram.
If your echocardiogram is normal there are genetic tests available, though they’re still in the research development stage, that can be used to identify family members who don’t have symptoms but have the same genetic mutation as the “proband” (person first diagnosed with the disease).
You should schedule an appointment with a cardiologist soon. In the meantime, seek medical attention in an emergency room if you experience chest pain, trouble breathing, dizziness, near-fainting or fainting.
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