What do I do to get DH's Heart Checked Out?

[chesirechik]

My FIL had a heart attack at a young age and had to have triple bypass surgery. My DH is in a high stress job (he is a chef) and has been complaining about a tight chest and anxiety. While I think the chest tightness is simply stress from work, I think with his Dad's history, he should be getting checked out and have some prevetitive care done.

Anyone know where I should start? Do I go directly to a cardiologist? We don't need referrels from our PCP to specialists with our insurance. What sort of tests/exams should we be looking for?

I'm trying to do the legwork without him knowing because I know he'll freak out, but I'm worried he'll have a heart attack at a young age too (he's 30).

 

[Bob Slydell]

Call your PCP and get him a physical. The PCP can determine if any further tests need to be done in regards to his heart.

 

[Race the Reaper]

Call your PCP and get him a physical. The PCP can determine if any further tests need to be done in regards to his heart.

I agree. Your PCP can do a 12 lead EKG and a couple blood tests such as a CPK, CKMB, PT or PTT to determine the functional ability of the heart and the clotting ability of the blood. If these come up positive then he can be referred to a Cardiologist for a stress test or other diagnostic tests.

 

[kelleigh1]

Hubby and I go to the same PCP. And she's female, so she understands when I go in to see her and I mention things about hubby. She knows that he's not likely to bring it up. In typical guy fashion, he just passes it off as something else. He doesn't listen to me when I tell him he should have it checked out, so I mention things directly to the doctor and then she brings them up with him instead.

I also try to make sure that I schedule our appointments on the same day so he has no excuse for not going. And I always make mine forst so I can chat with her before she sees him.

 

[EthansMom]

Call your PCP and get him a physical. The PCP can determine if any further tests need to be done in regards to his heart.

I agree with this. DH was having chest pains and I told him for months to go see the doctor. Finally, just made him an appointment with our PCP. Turns out his "chest pains" were an ulcer, which is completely treatable.

 

[*Fantasia*]

Maybe you can tell him my story. This happened about 4 years ago.

We had and still do have a good health coverage. My husband never went to an annual physical test for four years. Then when he wanted to purchase a life insurance, he had to go to a full physical exam. He failed the exam. High blood pressure and high cholesterol. The life insurance denied him.

The doctor presicribed him Rx for his high blood pressure. He wasn't very faithful in taking the prescription.

About 2 months later.. he passed away. They did an autopsy on him. It was a heart aneurysm due to his high blood pressure.

No one knew.. it was too late. I just wish he would have gone to the doctor much sooner maybe it would have saved his life.

He died at the age of 32. He me with our two children (ages 2 and 5 at that time).

Not to scare you.. but maybe with this story.. it might be a "wake up call" for him.

 

[#1MMFan]

I always find it odd that you can go directly to a specialist in the US. We always go via the family physician here; ultimately as family physicians you are expected to be able to vet what requires further investigation or not. I'm thinking the blood tests mentioned above might not be particularly useful in the non-acute setting. More likely what we'd be doing is (in UK terms) an FBC UEs TFTs Lipid profile and glucose plus an ECG (EKG) - but at rest, it's not quite so useful when non-acute. I would take the OP's husband's history seriously particularly given the strong family history, and I would anticipate the need to refer him for ETT (exercise tolerance testing) and angio if ETT positive. So the ultimate message is, make sure your husband sees a Dr of some kind to check this out as per whatever protocol you use in the US.

 

[Race the Reaper]

I always find it odd that you can go directly to a specialist in the US. We always go via the family physician here; ultimately as family physicians you are expected to be able to vet what requires further investigation or not. I'm thinking the blood tests mentioned above might not be particularly useful in the non-acute setting. More likely what we'd be doing is (in UK terms) an FBC UEs TFTs Lipid profile and glucose plus an ECG (EKG) - but at rest, it's not quite so useful when non-acute. I would take the OP's husband's history seriously particularly given the strong family history, and I would anticipate the need to refer him for ETT (exercise tolerance testing) and angio if ETT positive. So the ultimate message is, make sure your husband sees a Dr of some kind to check this out as per whatever protocol you use in the US.

I completely forgot about the glucose testing! DUH on me!
OP, if your husband has a positive fasting glucose test, then he could be diabetic. How does this figure in with cardiac studies? Most diabetics cannot feel "pain" like nondiabetics can. Meaning, he could be having a myocardial infarction(heart attack) and not even feel it. I have seen many diabetics come to the ER complaining of just not feeling right, even if their glucose levels are within their normal range. The "just not feeling right" thing turns out to be an MI. Might ought to get all the bases covered just to be safe.

 

[aprilgail2]

I would go to a cardioligist and get a check up. I have an annual echo and ekg done at my cardioligist and one time when I was having palpitations I was hooked up with a monitor to wear for 10 days and then they read the results. I wouldn't go to a general physician for the heart though, see a specialist.

 

[MScott1851]

I agree with the above posters. Nine times out of ten, your PCP can do EKG's, cardiac enzymes, schedule your husband for stress tests and echocardiograms, etc...and refer him to a cardiologist to interpret all those tests.

DH was having similar symptoms, and it turned out he was hypertensive, had been untreated for 8-9 years, and had some enlargement of his heart due to it being overworked for that long. 40mg of Diovan per day later, and his "tightness" is completely gone.

Of course, if your DH has acute symptoms that come on suddenly with exertion, get him to an ER immediately. Better safe than sorry...and trust me, health care providers much prefer to send a patient home with an anxiety or ulcer or high blood pressure diagnosis than admit one with a massive heart attack because they put off getting medical care.