Hello doctor, I am a 46 year old female. My blood pressure is low normal. I have never had any heart issues except palpitations when pregnant 10 years ago. They did a cardiac ultrasound at that time, which was normal. Just over a week ago, I started feeling, intermittently during the day, as if my heart were pounding irregularly. Each time, it lasts just a minute or two and then resolves. I saw my doctor, who heard some skipped beats through the stethoscope. The in-office EKG was normal (I did not feel my chest pounding at that time) as was the bloodwork (CBS, thyroid, and electrolytes). She decided to order a monitor for me, but the office cannot get me in for a month. I was talking to my father-in-law, who has had a number of heart problems, and he recommended, in the meantime, the Kardia monitor, a direct-to-consumer, 1-lead ECG machine (AliveCor). I ordered one of these, and the first test I did was evaluated by their cardiologists as a 'possible atrial fibrillation.' Since then, I have done a number (dozens) of home tests. During the times when my heartbeat feels funny, the algorithm has frequently said 'possible atrial fibrillation' or that it is indeterminate, that is, beyond the bounds of their analysis mechanism. I am not experienced enough to read the strips myself and was hoping I could email a number of the concerning ones to you in a PDF format for an evaluation. The chest sensation is not painful, but it is disconcerting, and I am anxious to get to the bottom of it. I do not know if this is relevant, but very shortly after the heartbeat issues started, I also came down with a flu-like virus. The kids have just gone back to school and started passing around the bugs. One of my sons is down with the same thing. Thanks so much for your time and help.
Hello. I have gone through your detailed narration and understand your concerns. For more information consult a cardiologist online -->