Right atrial hypertrophy or enlargement is a result an increased amount of blood in the Right Atrium. This can be due to obstruction downstream, backwards flow across a leaking (“tricuspid”) valve, a defect in the wall between the Left and Right Atrium (an “Atrial-Septal Defect”), or a conduction abnormality to name a few possibilities. It can be diagnosed by EKG, …
I woke up with severe sudden chestpain, but they couldn’t find anything
Question Info: Age- 18, Female, Had ASD repair when I was 8 years old, normal BP and HR, Good health no other medical conditions. The other night I was woke up out of my sleep with severe chest pains, they pain seemed deep and was worse while I was lying, bending forward, or breathing deeply. I have had a history …
Chicken au Champagne
Chicken au Champagne Unlike Mireille, I am not enough of a Champagne aficionado to splurge on Veuve Clicquot for food, and never drink Vermouth or Pernod. The first change therefore is to use a cheaper Champagne instead of the exalted version the CEO of that company uses. There is no question however, that even though the wine cooks off while roasting …
I cannot breathe at night
Q: I am a 36 y.o. male and I have not been able to sleep at night due to lack of breath when I lay down and I feel like I’m drowning or can only get rapid breaths. This has only happened occasionally over the past couple of years. I have also noticed a slight swelling of my feet when …
My Mother-in-law has HOCM, Diastolic heart failure. What should she do?
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy Question: My mother-in-law is 64 years old . She has HOCM for the last 3 years with mild to moderate MR and mild LV diastolic dysfunction. She has recently become symptomatic. When she was in the US 3 months back she was admitted in the emergency when she had severe gas, burps, profuse sweating, breathlessness and black-outs. At …
Rolled Lasagna with fresh ricotta and smoked mozzarella
Last week I stayed with my son and his fiancée on their farm in northern Maine. As usual when I visit, dinner becomes a food fest as well as a social adventure: (among others) he also has a graduate degree from a culinary institute and cooks like a dream come true. These two are believers of organic produce; most comes …
What is QTc and Long QT syndrome (LQTS)?
Question: If I have QT 380, what is the QTc duration?And what you think about overstimation of QT if U wave is present? And derive the present ECG machines conduction intervals from lead II?
My EKG shows a Bundle Branch Block. What does it mean?
Bundle Branch Block I found this great article written by Richard N. Fogoros, M.D., About.com Guide, November 26, 2003, that I reprint here: Causes, significance, and treatment Bundle branch block (BBB) is a relatively frequent finding on the electrocardiogram (ECG). Sometimes BBB itself needs to be treated; sometimes it indicates significant underlying cardiac disease that needs to be treated; and sometimes …
Why does my heart beat harder and flutter every time I lay down?
Answer: The first thing to find out is whether this is a real rhythm problem or not (I suspect not). Some of it may have to do with the shape of your body and your emotional state when you feel these flutters. Most people feel their heart on occasion and for a few it may be uncomfortable when it happens. …
Optimal Medical Therapy, what is it anyway?
In a number of articles and blogs I have talked about Optimal Medical Therapy (OMT), but what is OMT? Isn’t every treatment by your doctors “optimal”?