'I have asked my general practitioner and my therapist, and they both tell me I’m fine, and that there’s a 99 percent chance it’s anxiety. But there is REAL pain there'
Photo: Getty Images/Getty Images Welcome to Am I Dying, a column that hopes to save you from your late-night WebMD spiraling. You can email us your hypochondriac questions at amidying@nymag.com.
Before I get to the part where we talk about how frustrating it is when a doctor ascribes every last one of your symptoms to anxiety, because believe me, I’ve been there more times than I can count, let’s talk about your symptoms, and whether or not to worry. Maryann McLaughlin, a cardiologist and Medical Director of the Cardiac Health Program at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, says some heart and chest pains are a cause for concern — but there are others that you really can ignore.
One such condition is called a “mitral valve prolapse disorder,” which isn’t as scary as it sounds. This condition is usually associated with the sort of “stabby” pain you describe, particularly beneath the breast area, says McLaughlin, though it can also be accompanied by palpitations and/or a racing heart. A mitral valve prolapse is when the “leaflets” at the top of the mitral valve sort of overlap or bend backward — McLaughlin describes it as similar in appearance to double-jointedness.
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