My significant other has been having problems. He used to be a heavy smoker and even smoked a fair amount of synthetic marijuana. He hasnt smoked anything at all for over a year because it started scaring him. He often felt like he couldnt breath or get a full breathe. I suppose I should add that he gets severe heartburn at least twice a day; sometimes more. For the past few days his hands have been going numb and locking up. Last night he said he felt a stab in his chest and today he tried running. He used to run five miles a day and now he never does. He ran this morning and stopped after maybe a minute. He couldnt get a breathe and he said he felt stabbing pains in his chest again. Both sides of his chest. What could it be? Or should we focus on heart or lungs?
Thanks for your question on Chat Doctor. I can understand his condition and problem. Smoking is the biggest risk factor for heart and lung disease. His symptoms are more in favor of cardiac disease. So better to get done ECG and 2d echo first. If both are normal then no need to worry about cardiac cause. Bronchitis can also cause shortness of breath and stabbing chest pain. So get done chest x-ray and PFT (Pulmonary Function Test) to rule out bronchitis. So consult doctor and discuss all these, first diagnose himself and then start appropriate treatment. Hope I have solved your query. Wish him good health. Thanks.