Doc heard some irregular heart beats from me, and I've been having heart palpitations along with some real bad anxiety, but I need any help deciphering the notes:
1. Left ventricular size is normal with normal left ventricular systolic function and ejection fraction of 55 to 60%.
2. Mild tricuspid regurgitation.
3. Mild rv enlarged
4. Poss diastolic dysfxn
I just looked those up online and have yet to speak with the doc (prob tomorrow) but am anxious as to what this all means.
1. Left ventricular size is normal with normal left ventricular systolic function and ejection fraction of 55 to 60%.
Your heart is pumping within the normal range of 50% to 65%.
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2. Mild tricuspid regurgitation.
During the time when the Right Atrium, of your heart, supplies the Right Ventricle with blood, the valve between your right atrium and right ventricle doesn't close completely, causing a small amount of blood to flow back up into the atrium.
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3. Mild rv enlarged
The bottom right side of your heart, the Right Ventricle, is slightly enlarged. The right ventricle pumps de-oxygenated blood back into the lungs to be oxygenated. If this process is not working quite properly it can cause some side effects, such as breathing problems or labored breathing. Do you ever have breathing problems?
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4. Poss diastolic dysfxn
Diastolic Dysfunction is where the top part of your heart has minor problems supplying blood to the bottom "pumping" part of your heart. Your echo implies that there is a slight problem with the diastolic function of your Right Atrium. Perhaps this is what the doctor means?
It takes a high level of skill to properly do and interpret an EchoCardiogram, so it is very important to have the echo done by someone with a lot of experience and success at doing Echos, and a Cardiologist who is also very well trained and experienced working with Echos. In other words, the reliability of Echo results is only as good as the technician and doctor doing it.
I am not a medical professional, or student; just someone who has had quite a few EchoCardiograms.
... As far as breathing goes, I have asthma, so it's difficult to tell if anything has changed and my heart is the culprit.
I've got both Heart Failure and Asthma. One way that I can tell if it is Asthma or my heart is that, I take some Asthma inhalation. If my breathing clears up, then it was my asthma. I also check my heartbeat. If it is a strong, regular heartbeat, then I suspect Asthma.
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In your opinion, is this terribly bad? Even seeing those things on the list, freaked me out...
In my non-professional opinion, your condition at this time is quite mild. But..... it is like a warning shot across your bow. In order to keep your heart problems from getting worse, there are things you can do to make yourself healthier, like exercise; very healthy diet; no smoking (either first hand or second hand); avoid stimulants like the caffeine in coffee and chocolate and soda; avoid excess sugar and carbs.
Have you had your blood sugar tested? How has your blood pressure been running?
Thank you, I so appreciate your opinion. Am I correct in saying that you've been diagnosed with heart failure for quite a bit of time? I believe I have read a few of your posts, and again, I thank you for your assistance.
My glucose has been anywhere from 88 to 97 in the past few weeks. Blood pressure is also okay, it was 127 over 87 , although pulse has been low (around low-50's to low 60's)...one doc says that it's okay, two others say "hmmmmm."
Do you take any supplements specifically for your heart? I was reading about all the wonders of cayenne, to get better circulation (something I need) but have not yet taken any.
Last edited by dallascowboyzfa; 09-21-2011 at 07:20 AM.
The Following User Says Thank You to dallascowboyzfa For This Useful Post: AngelaDawn27 (11-06-2012)
Sorry, two more questions...what do #4 and #5 on your list mean? (Magnificent COREG! and SLIT) I think I need to go and read more of your posts, as you are highly educated on the subject of the heart.
I just finished reading Dr. Esselstyn's book "Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease."
Is there a particular diet that you are adopting? I have no problem giving up meat, but I don't know about chicken. I'm sure I could do it, if I have to. I just wouldn't like it, lol.
Last edited by dallascowboyzfa; 09-21-2011 at 07:14 AM.
Sorry, two more questions...what do #4 and #5 on your list mean? (Magnificent COREG! and SLIT)
Coreg (Carvedilol) is a wonderful, miraculous Blood Pressure and Heart Failure and general Heart medication that can be used to improve many illnesses not related to the heart, IMHO. To me it is a general purpose and magical health elixir. Unfortunately, it is off patent and almost all of the other great uses for this medication will NEVER be tested.
SLIT (sublingual immunotherapy) is an at-home immunization for allergies, where an allergist sends you small drops of allergens to place under the tongue to make you less allergically sensitive to allergens. In my case, I researched all of the rules and then experimented and made my own allergen drops, so to speak. The results have been outstanding and I am much less allergic to things that used to set off my Asthma.
SLIT has been commonly used over in Europe for quite a while, but is slow in taking off in the US.
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I think I need to go and read more of your posts, as you are highly educated on the subject of the heart.
Thanks for the compliment. I have battled with Heart Failure, Permanent Atrial Fibrillation, Insulin Resistance and Asthma for at least 25 years, and am totally self learned, mostly through the Internet and through personal experience. It was either learn, or die or worse!
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Is there a particular diet that you are adopting? I have no problem giving up meat, but I don't know about chicken. I'm sure I could do it, if I have to. I just wouldn't like it, lol.
My diet has evolved and changed quite a bit as my health and heart has dramatically gotten better. Buts..... a recent thread of mine about my diet, in the High & Low Blood Pressure topic, is titled: My diet- most effective "medication" for my Blood Pressure, CHF & Insulin Resistance!. The direct link is: http://www.healthboards.com/boards/showthread.php?t=849589
Have you talk to your cardio to explain the echo results, he/she should have had the results in no time flat. You need to talk to the doctor before making any changes in your diet, exercise regement or taking suppliments. You need to understand from the doctor of what you are going through and what is recommended action needed to keep the heart heathy. And always ask a doctor about diet and exercise when heart heath in questionable. Take care and hugs for today, be careful.
