a bad experience today any docs in the house?
Discussion
Working away with my dad today a really bad thing happened and I'm scared something bad could happen in the near future.
the background is that my dad has an enlarged heart and is waiting/pondering/trying to back out of an operation where they reduce the size of his heart either by open surgery or with the keyhole thingy through his leg, as his enlarged heart is pumping too hard and is making him constantly tired.
we are flooring fitters by trade and as I was fitting a stairs carpet this morning and looked up to the landing where he was, I noticed he was bent over oddly (any jokes and I'll kick your arses) almost like he had become light headed whilst lifting the carpet but didn't seem to get back to his feet quickly so I rushed up stairs where he had seemed to lose conciousness and was not breathing, he came to within a few seconds seconds and could not understand what had just happened.
he sat down and felt fine whilst I finished the job off.
he reluctantly (after a stern b
king) has rung up the quacks to see if they can see him.
What the hell was that all about, It scared the st out of me although it was only over a few seconds, I think it must be linked to his heart thing anyone got any thoughts ?, his blood pressure is fine etc !
the background is that my dad has an enlarged heart and is waiting/pondering/trying to back out of an operation where they reduce the size of his heart either by open surgery or with the keyhole thingy through his leg, as his enlarged heart is pumping too hard and is making him constantly tired.
we are flooring fitters by trade and as I was fitting a stairs carpet this morning and looked up to the landing where he was, I noticed he was bent over oddly (any jokes and I'll kick your arses) almost like he had become light headed whilst lifting the carpet but didn't seem to get back to his feet quickly so I rushed up stairs where he had seemed to lose conciousness and was not breathing, he came to within a few seconds seconds and could not understand what had just happened.
he sat down and felt fine whilst I finished the job off.
he reluctantly (after a stern b
king) has rung up the quacks to see if they can see him.What the hell was that all about, It scared the s
t out of me although it was only over a few seconds, I think it must be linked to his heart thing anyone got any thoughts ?, his blood pressure is fine etc !
there are, at the doctors. Or even better, the hospital.crackthatoff said:
97octane said:
Yes, probably best not to bother getting advice on an internet forum devoted to cars...
which is why I was asking if there were 'any docs in the house'SpydieNut said:
crackthatoff said:
97octane said:
Yes, probably best not to bother getting advice on an internet forum devoted to cars...
which is why I was asking if there were 'any docs in the house't !crackthatoff said:
sorry I'm just flapping, this waiting thing is st !
i can understand that. you did the right thing getting him to see someone. waiting will be hard for both of you, until you know one way or the other.t !ETA - no need to appologise. i think most people in your position would be flapping.
Edited by SpydieNut on Friday 19th September 17:17
I don't think there is an operation to reduce the size of someones heart as such.
Your heart is a muscle, it containes valves, is controlled with electrical impulses and connected to the pipework and gas exchange (lungs) bits of your body.
If any of those parts go wrong the muscle has to work harder to meet the O2 demand, this makes is get bigger (much like dumbell curls make your biceps bigger). This works to an extent then your heart just can't manage and you get ill.
He should have an operation, if it's offered, then change his lifestyle accordingly. Younger the better IMO.
Your heart is a muscle, it containes valves, is controlled with electrical impulses and connected to the pipework and gas exchange (lungs) bits of your body.
If any of those parts go wrong the muscle has to work harder to meet the O2 demand, this makes is get bigger (much like dumbell curls make your biceps bigger). This works to an extent then your heart just can't manage and you get ill.
He should have an operation, if it's offered, then change his lifestyle accordingly. Younger the better IMO.
crackthatoff said:
Working away with my dad today a really bad thing happened and I'm scared something bad could happen in the near future.
the background is that my dad has an enlarged heart and is waiting/pondering/trying to back out of an operation where they reduce the size of his heart either by open surgery or with the keyhole thingy through his leg, as his enlarged heart is pumping too hard and is making him constantly tired.
we are flooring fitters by trade and as I was fitting a stairs carpet this morning and looked up to the landing where he was, I noticed he was bent over oddly (any jokes and I'll kick your arses) almost like he had become light headed whilst lifting the carpet but didn't seem to get back to his feet quickly so I rushed up stairs where he had seemed to lose conciousness and was not breathing, he came to within a few seconds seconds and could not understand what had just happened.
he sat down and felt fine whilst I finished the job off.
he reluctantly (after a stern bking) has rung up the quacks to see if they can see him.
What the hell was that all about, It scared the st out of me although it was only over a few seconds, I think it must be linked to his heart thing anyone got any thoughts ?, his blood pressure is fine etc !
Dont know enough to offer a pro opinion but sounds like low BPthe background is that my dad has an enlarged heart and is waiting/pondering/trying to back out of an operation where they reduce the size of his heart either by open surgery or with the keyhole thingy through his leg, as his enlarged heart is pumping too hard and is making him constantly tired.
we are flooring fitters by trade and as I was fitting a stairs carpet this morning and looked up to the landing where he was, I noticed he was bent over oddly (any jokes and I'll kick your arses) almost like he had become light headed whilst lifting the carpet but didn't seem to get back to his feet quickly so I rushed up stairs where he had seemed to lose conciousness and was not breathing, he came to within a few seconds seconds and could not understand what had just happened.
he sat down and felt fine whilst I finished the job off.
he reluctantly (after a stern b
king) has rung up the quacks to see if they can see him.What the hell was that all about, It scared the s
t out of me although it was only over a few seconds, I think it must be linked to his heart thing anyone got any thoughts ?, his blood pressure is fine etc !Gutted to hear this mate, hope he's sorted soon
I would say, the Mrs had chest pains back last christmas, went to the docs and the doc gave her an all clear after an ECG
Still getting the pains a few weeks later so we went private to a cardiologist and she has a severe narrowing in one her arterys (did a treadmill test and within a minute her pulse went through the roof, yet she claimed to feel fine)
Then had a 24 hr ECG test (they strap a small recorder box to you) and this showed similar problems at the points she was having the chest pains
Within 3 weeks of this she had an angiogram (dye through the veins to check the blockage areas) and another week later in for the full on angioplasty (otherwise know as a 'stent')
She's now as right as rain (though has to go back every 6 months for checks) and has given up her 20 a day (I'm glad to say)
The private treatment was only up to the 24hr ECG, from there on it was NHS
The £600 odd spent on the private work was the best money I've ever spent, and I'd say if this would help your dads situation go for it
All the best
Edited by AngryApples on Friday 19th September 20:31
chrisxr2 said:
Holy cow, casualty or NHS direct required methinks.
With reference to my post above and this post ^ if you EVER suspect someone dear to you is having a heart attack, dont fk about calling 999 for an ambulance - bundle that person in your car and get them to casualty with all hasteWe had to call 999 a few weeks after the Mrs angio (false alarm I'm glad to say) - 1 hour later the ambulance arrived
This a sentiment a friend echoes, his father has had about 4 heart attacks (over around 20 or so years) and he would never wait for the ambulance
Lesson - wait for the ambulance and it could be too late (this is no way a reflection on the paramedics who do an excellent job but are severely short of manpower and resource)
Edited by AngryApples on Friday 19th September 20:37
if he does any kind of working out
i.e. on a treadmill or cardio vasculor work, your hard can become enlarged, and from that it will not beat as hard and fast.
so if he does get him to stop training for a few weeks and it should go back to normal, quite a few sports people get this one time or another, i have had it one time when i was training for a cycle marathon.
if he doesnt train, just get him to take it easy and not push it too much
as in not doing lots of carpet lifting and stuff, get him to basically take a bit of leave due to illness, and then if it does not get better i would definatly go to hospital and get a ecg.
i.e. on a treadmill or cardio vasculor work, your hard can become enlarged, and from that it will not beat as hard and fast.
so if he does get him to stop training for a few weeks and it should go back to normal, quite a few sports people get this one time or another, i have had it one time when i was training for a cycle marathon.
if he doesnt train, just get him to take it easy and not push it too much
as in not doing lots of carpet lifting and stuff, get him to basically take a bit of leave due to illness, and then if it does not get better i would definatly go to hospital and get a ecg.
crackthatoff said:
my dad has an enlarged heart and is waiting/pondering/trying to back out of an operation where they reduce the size of his heart either by open surgery or with the keyhole thingy through his leg, as his enlarged heart is pumping too hard and is making him constantly tired.
Impossible to say without seeing him and his notes as "Some of the many causes of enlarged heart include:
* Coronary artery disease - fatty deposits or plaques build up inside one or more of the coronary arteries (atherosclerosis). This constant silting narrows the artery. This reduces the oxygen supply, which is the fuel for the pump.
* Cardiac ischaemia - reduced blood flow to the heart. This condition can cause heart pain (angina).
* High blood pressure (hypertension) - blood pumps with more force than usual through the arteries, which puts strain on the heart. Causes of high blood pressure include obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.
* Idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy - disease of the heart muscle, the cause of which is unknown. Enlarged or ‘dilated’ heart is one of the most common types of cardiomyopathy. Some of the symptoms include chest pain and fainting spells.
* Myocarditis - an infection of the heart that is generally caused by a virus. A person may have a viral illness first and later have symptoms of congestive heart failure.
* Heart valve disease - for example, a faulty mitral valve allows blood to flow backwards, which means the affected heart chamber has to contract with more force than usual.
* Previous heart attack - a weakened heart muscle may enlarge in order to keep up with the demands of pumping blood around the body.
* Thyroid disease - the thyroid gland regulates many metabolic functions. Untreated, a thyroid condition can lead to high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol levels, irregular heartbeat and enlargement of the heart.
* Obesity - carrying too much body fat is a risk factor for high blood pressure, which in turn can cause the heart to enlarge.
* Lack of exercise - leading a sedentary lifestyle is a known risk factor for a range of conditions, including coronary heart disease and high blood pressure.
* Old age - as we get older, our arteries lose some of their elasticity. This ‘stiffening’ of the blood vessels causes high blood pressure, which is a risk factor for enlarged heart."
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticl...
Although the operations suggested (?CABG/Angioplasty) would suggest that the underlying cause is Coronary artery disease. B.T.W. the operation doesn't reduce the heart size, it just improve the blood flow to the heart muscle.
Edited by quyen on Friday 19th September 21:35
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