Live Chat Transcript - 3rd September

After the second programme in the series Dr Ayan and Dr Jonty answered your medical questions during a live chat.

Read the transcript from the first page of this live chat.

Alicat: Hiya, I am 15 and I am healthy, but recently I have been getting heart pains and my fingers in my left hand go tingly like pins and needles.
Dr George: I can well appreciate that you are concerned by what appears to be a pain in your chest, and also pains in your left hand. You are only 15 and I am delighted to say that it is rather unlikely the pain is coming from your heart. When people have pains which are caused by problems of the heart they are usually in the centre of the chest, often tight in character, and they can spread to the neck, the arms or the jaw. This could be accompanied by shortness of breath. I am sure that none of this is the case in your instance. Are you going through a lot of stress at the current time with e.g. examinations at school, as stress could cause this sort of problem? Are the pains made worse by movement, because if they were this would tend to indicate that it is some sort of muscle or ligament sprain in the chest. It is not specifically talked about in medical text books, but I do see many younger people of your age who I feel are possibly suffering from 'growing pain' and this could be the case in your situation. I hope this gives you some explanation and reassurance. I’m sure they will settle down, but as always with chest pain, if they do not, see your own GP who will examine you and I am sure give you the reassurance you require. Good luck!

Ed: Hi - I have acute pain just below my knee cap following games and exercise; it also hurts when sitting with my leg slightly bent. Is this bad?
Dr Jonty: Hi Ed. I am going to be courageous here and plumb for a diagnosis even without seeing you! The symptoms you describe, of pain below the knee cap which is worse following sport, sound to me very like a condition called Osgood-Schlatter's disease. This is much more common in teenagers who play a lot of sport, and sometimes you might even be able to feel a slight lump just below the knee which is also common in this condition. I would suggest that you rest your knee as much as possible and avoid sport for a few weeks, although I know this may be difficult, and if you are getting a lot of discomfort then try simple painkillers such as paracetamol. The good news is that things will usually get better without any treatment but, if it is not settling down then please go and see your doctor as I have been known to be wrong! Good Luck.

Benny: Hi, I am male, 29 and find that when I exercise I get quite a high heart rate, sometimes up to 180 or more. Is this normal?
Dr George: Dear Benny, firstly I am delighted that you are undertaking exercise and I would like you to get the most out of your exercise programme. Most people who try to structure an increase in their level of fitness might want to set themselves a target heart rate. Though the average resting heart rate would be between 70 and 80 beats per minute there is no doubt that with extremely strenuous exercise rates could reach 180 beats per minute. I trust you are not feeling unduly breathless during your exercise, or even indeed experiencing chest pains. If you are please see your GP. It is important to choose the right exercise and the needs of an individual will vary depending on their age, lifestyle and general fitness. Final point, to see you are increasing your level of fitness check your pulse recovery time, as the time it takes your pulse to return to its resting rate after significant exercise, is a good barometer of whether or not you are improving your fitness. I trust this is of help! Keep you are improving your fitness. I trust this is of help, but if you are having any of the symptoms I described previously, do ensure that you get your blood pressure and your heart checked by your family doctor. Good Luck.

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Please note: The material is for general information only. If you are in any way concerned about these or any other health issues always consult your GP.