Q:
I have a sore throat and put my fingers on my throat to check my glands when I felt my pulse. It was very strong so I checked my left side and I had to really press hard to feel the pulse. I can even feel the throb in my neck while not touching it. My gland does not feel swollen But I am curious to know what’s going on. I have never felt this before. Is it okay?
A:
This one of those situation where a one minute exam could provide you with an answer I now have to guess at. Feeling the pulse in your neck and listening there with my stethoscope would do just that! If you are older & at risk for atherosclerosis and blockages in your arteries and I also couldn’t feel your pulse and/or heard a noise in the artery I’d tell you the blood flow might be impaired and needs to be examined with a Doppler ultrasound study.
I would also check your cholesterol and other risk factors, and look for evidence of heart disease. If you were found to have a severe blockage in that artery, an operation might be adviced, but first we’d want to make sure your heart is OK. You can see how quickly this becomes a complicated answer!
This is where you can read about this:
http://www.cardiac-risk-assessment.com/heart-information/your-cholesterol
http://www.cardiac-risk-assessment.com/heart-information/atherosclerosis
http://www.cardiac-risk-assessment.com/heart-information/hypertension
http://www.cardiac-risk-assessment.com/heart-information/coronary-artery-disease
Women have sometimes atypical symptoms:
http://www.cardiac-risk-assessment.com/heart-information/coronary-artery-disease
Your risks for heart disease:
http://www.cardiac-risk-assessment.com/app/risk-assessment.php
Since these are all unknowns, I hope this helps,
Dr T
http://www.cardiac-risk-assessment.com/