Pause

[drscott]

Reading the paper at the kitchen table, eating the last of breakfast. Suddenly it's ominously quiet in my head, and I feel strange - my heart has stopped and a wave of dizziness hits. Since I've had arrhythmias in the past, I know what to try -- deep breath in, exhale slowly, twice. Still feel no blood moving. Should I run for the phone and dial 911? Maybe if I stand up the leg muscles will help keep blood moving. Stand up, move around, everything returns to normal.

When this first started about 15 years ago, the doctors at HCHP did a treadmill test and pronounced it benign athletic arryhthmia. Still disconcerting, but:

Athletic heart syndrome is a heart condition that may occur in people who exercise or train for more than an hour a day, most days of the week. Athletic heart syndrome isn't necessarily bad for you -- if you're an athlete.[...]

Since athletic heart syndrome is harmless, there's no reason to treat it unless you experience regular light-headedness, chest pains, or you lose consciousness. If you really want a "normal" heart again, all you have to do is stop exercising. Soon, your heart, along with the rest of your body, will sag back into its former shape. But why not keep everything extra strong and healthy for a while? You should be proud of your athletic body, heart included.,

Comments

[audrabaudra.livejournal.com]

Okay...but...you felt the need to burp at the gym the other day and looked to the flight attendant as if you might be having a heart episode.

Might this episode this morning be paired up with the feeling in your chest the other day?

Take care!

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Whew! Who knew, I was already following the prescribed treatment on my own:)

I'm just glad you're okay!

Big HUGS!

[billeyler.livejournal.com]

Yeesh! Obviously you're back in synch now, but frightening.

[abqdan.livejournal.com]

It wouldn't hurt to check in with a cardio guy again - who knows, you might find a cute one! Take care.

[omero-hassan.livejournal.com]

You have used your allotment of emergency health scares for the year. Please be careful.

[dr-scott.livejournal.com]

Coincidence, though I certainly remember our discussion of the gym's AED device!

[dr-scott.livejournal.com]

I don't think it works unless you are already overexercised!

My heart's control circuits are just a little overeager.

[dr-scott.livejournal.com]

It's not the same as your arrhythmia, but the feeling of oddness is similar, and it is also affected by deep breathing.

[dr-scott.livejournal.com]

If it's a single incident over months, probably not worth looking at. if it recurred or lasted longer, then I'd definitely look into it. One of the stories I read on this commented that it was very difficult to get people to stop training to distinguish between the athletic syndrome and true heart disease... I wouldn't, either!

[dr-scott.livejournal.com]

I was writing for drama. I was concerned but petty sure it would pass. Blinding pain or quick unconsciousness would accompany a real problem!

[jpeace.livejournal.com]

As a professional worrier, I think hysterics are in order. "Athletic heart syndrome"? What pap. "Sudden Death Preview Syndrome" is better. Now pardon me while I nervously inspect my toes for incipient fungus.

[omero-hassan.livejournal.com]

Every now and then my heart skips a beat. I gather it's fairly common and nothing much happens, but it sure is an odd feeling. I asked a doctor about it once during a physical and they put me on the EKG and everything was fine. The only problem, they said, was that I had so little body fat on my chest that the readings were "too loud," so to speak. And they made me pull the sensors off my own (hairy) chest.

Hmm... somehow this suddenly became about me. Sorry about that...

[abqdan.livejournal.com]

Well, in the end you know your own body best, and I'm sure you have the common sense to ask for help when you need it - just take care!

And on a completely different note, I friended Mr Habib on Facebook. I've always wanted a porn star as a friend! And I am so flattered that he accepted me as a friend - now I feel special :-)

[dr-scott.livejournal.com]

The porn stars use FB as a marketing tool, so they almost always are happy to have more "friends" of a one-way sort. Conner is unusual -- academic language person, quite obviously aware of the irony.

[dr-scott.livejournal.com]

Yes, single misses and stutters happen to almost everyone. You'll feel a missed beat or an unusual thud as the next beat is harder than normal.

The idea of ripping the sensors off your hairy chest kind of makes me hot. ;-)

[dr-scott.livejournal.com]

It's nice to be reminded once in awhile of just how amazing being alive really is, considering the forces of disorder waiting to stop it.

[omero-hassan.livejournal.com]

Well, we will definitely need to agree on a safe word before embarking on this scene.

[dr-scott.livejournal.com]

As I read somewhere re Folsom, "Ouch!" is not a safe word...

[omero-hassan.livejournal.com]

Ha! Win.