EKG results "borderline abnormal" but good BP 122/74?

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  • mhlew
    mhlew Posts: 377 Member
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    Yes I think if I can rule out any heart condition then this will help me greatly with this bout of anxiety.

    I will then see what I can do to improve anxiety.
  • hekla90
    hekla90 Posts: 595 Member
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    Well not a doctor but I am an icu nurse. You can have a pretty jacked up ecg and normal blood pressure (which while yours is okay for an icu patient it is pre hypertensive for the real world...). ECG isn't necessarily going to influence your blood pressure and vice versa. Had a patient a few weeks ago on perfect sinus rhythym and the first systolic our equipment was capable of measuring was 300/168 so yeah.
  • mhlew
    mhlew Posts: 377 Member
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    Well I am on a path towards weight loss, have improved my eating tremendously and work out regularly as long as doctor gives me clearance.

    My worry is just something drastically bad throwing off my EKG.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
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    mhlew wrote: »
    lynn_glenmont wrote: »
    I'm sorry you are so nervous and anxious, but there's no use borrowing trouble. Just relax until you see the cardiologist. You could ask your roommate to check on you every few hours through the night to make sure you're still conscious, if that would make you less worried.

    1). She moved alto be with her mom.

    2). I think your comment made my anxiety even worse

    3) even thought I'm anxious I don't think I'm dying but your comment still sucked haha

    It sounds like you need to look into stress management. There are lots of methods that work. Do some research or talk to your doctor and find one that works for you. I don't want to stress you out more by pointing out how damaging stress can be to your health, but it can. It's important to learn to reduce it.
  • mhlew
    mhlew Posts: 377 Member
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    I agree. I worry too much. Ruling out heart issues will be a huge weight off my shoulders now and I think I can really reduce stress. I have a lot of great things going for me, so I just want to get this all sorted out.
  • hekla90
    hekla90 Posts: 595 Member
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    mhlew wrote: »
    Well I am on a path towards weight loss, have improved my eating tremendously and work out regularly as long as doctor gives me clearance.

    My worry is just something drastically bad throwing off my EKG.

    If your doctor wasn't worried about the ekg I wouldn't worry about it. It's literally a small snap shot in time and while the machine will give you a reading each ekg is read by physician. It's like lab work, it gives you data but only for a moment in time.

    Feel free to call the doctor who ordered it and ask why it was borderline abnormal. It was probably the heart rate which the machine will recognize as Bradycardoa- which is normal for some. My dad is a cyclist and his resting heart rate is 42- which will show up and is an abnormal finding because the majority of individuals that wouldn't be healthy or expected. But when a doctor interprets that and knows my dad's history and that's he's very healthy, he knows the abnormal results isn't unhealthy.

    I encourage you to clarify with your doctor for your own peace of mind. I know in my line of work physicians and nurses we see and understand this and aren't always the best at explaining when
    And why Abnormal isn't a cause for concern. Hopefully this helps you feel less anxious.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
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    mhlew wrote: »
    I agree. I worry too much. Ruling out heart issues will be a huge weight off my shoulders now and I think I can really reduce stress. I have a lot of great things going for me, so I just want to get this all sorted out.

    I am a big fan of breathing exercises for stress relief. It's simple, quick, free and works for me. Try the exercise below. You might need to do it a few times.

    Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound. Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of four. Hold your breath for a count of seven. Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of eight.
  • mhlew
    mhlew Posts: 377 Member
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    Hekla I am seeing the cardiologist this morning to discuss. Never been to one.

    I'm not an athlete but have always worked out regularly even thought I am overweight. I work out 3-5 days a week for years
  • robooth101
    robooth101 Posts: 17 Member
    edited May 2017
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    What hekla90 said. The readout probably tagged as abnormal because anything less than 60 bpm is technically bradycardia (slow heart rate). As long as the rest of the readout was normal and your HR doesn't drop below 50 or drop during exercise, there shouldn't be anything to worry about (according to my cardiopulmonary class notes).
    Still a good idea to check with your doc, if for no other reason than your own peace of mind.
    FWIW, my HR right now is 65 and I'm drinking coffee while typing.
  • hekla90
    hekla90 Posts: 595 Member
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    mhlew wrote: »
    Hekla I am seeing the cardiologist this morning to discuss. Never been to one.

    I'm not an athlete but have always worked out regularly even thought I am overweight. I work out 3-5 days a week for years

    It's good your going to get checked up don't be afraid to ask questions! Just remember if we don't send you in an ER or an ambulance always a good sign! I hope you get it figured it and also your anxiety! I have bad anxiety I once went into work I was so nervous I hooked myself up to the monitors to make sure my heart rhythym wasn't bad lol! So I feel ya ;)
  • mystgrl28
    mystgrl28 Posts: 43 Member
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    Glad to see everything went fine. Just as a quick point, some references state that a normal heart rate is 60-100bpm, and some says 50-90bpm. A heart rate of 58 with no significant electrical changes (arrythmias) is nothing to worry about, especially if the person's clinically well with other observations within parameters. Different people have different baselines, this is why it's so important to get a baseline while the patient is well. Also, never trust the machine :D

    -Cardiothoracic Nurse
  • mhlew
    mhlew Posts: 377 Member
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    Thanks. Info Wednesday for treadmill test and egg but nothing he said or thinks I should worry so I feel pretty good about it.

    Have minimal to slight anxiety but feeling much better from a few days ago!
  • SunsetDncr
    SunsetDncr Posts: 8 Member
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    Without reading through all the replies... By now you've had your cardiologist appointment. What did he/she say?
  • mhlew
    mhlew Posts: 377 Member
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    He said everything is fine and not to worry about the EKG report, told me take what urgent care says with a grain of salt. Said my numbers looked great, it's better to have a low Bpm anyways.

    He listened to my hear my said it sounded great. Last step is a treadmill test and echo on Wednesday but said I am more than likely fine and heart healthy.

    I felt my anxiety go away almost immediately so I feel more confident I was dealing with bad anxiety.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
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    You did everything right. No use worrying about the unknown...even though I know how pointless it is to say that to someone experiencing this firsthand.

    Borderline abnormal simply means outside the scope of a generalist and something in the realm of a specialist.

    Congrats on the good news!
  • mhlew
    mhlew Posts: 377 Member
    edited May 2017
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    Today I did my ECG (echo) and treadmill stress test.

    They said the ECG looked fine and I did well on the stress test and although I completed the entire stress test, it took some time for my pulse to return to below 100 Bpm from the time I stepped off the treadmill

    He said this basically indicates I am out of shape and need to lose weight but said my heart performed well and appeared healthy when viewing on the ECG

    Last step of this process is this 24 hour heart wave monitor I have on me right now that I return tomorrow. He said they do not anticipate any bad findings from it but just the last step of the process of how they check heart health.

    He Said to work on weight loss to improve my recovery time from stress to normal and to recheck in one year.

    My anxiety symptoms have gone away and I can now focus on weight loss and working on my anxiety/mental health. As scary as it was to not go to the doctor in years- it is nice to get peace of mind that although the I have weight to lose, I am healthy.

    I never heard back from my blood test results from last Thursday morning but the doctor said they won't call if it looks good. So I'm hoping this is the case since it's Wednesday . I will probably call in about a week or two weeks but for now I need a break from doctors.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
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    All good. Now, get out there and carpe some diem.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
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    mhlew wrote: »
    He said everything is fine and not to worry about the EKG report, told me take what urgent care says with a grain of salt. Said my numbers looked great, it's better to have a low Bpm anyways.

    He listened to my hear my said it sounded great. Last step is a treadmill test and echo on Wednesday but said I am more than likely fine and heart healthy.

    I felt my anxiety go away almost immediately so I feel more confident I was dealing with bad anxiety.

    Your heart is a muscle. It does the job of pumping blood, but we're bodies, we can't manufacture pumps, so we grow body parts instead. As such, your heart works like pretty much any other muscle. Getting back to what your doctor told you: a strong heart has powerful contractions, which squeeze more blood with every beat, and doesn't have to beat as often. This is called "stroke volume" and it's why lower numbers are better.

    As a person who's suffered from anxiety, it can help me to understand how the things that make me nervous work.
  • gamerbabe14
    gamerbabe14 Posts: 876 Member
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    mhlew wrote: »
    Last step of this process is this 24 hour heart wave monitor I have on me right now that I return tomorrow. He said they do not anticipate any bad findings from it but just the last step of the process of how they check heart health.

    So jelly about your 24 hours. I had to wear one for 30 days and now I have one implanted.

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