This is normal right?

[Mark801]

Just curious. Today I was walking home from school and I was walking pretty fast(it's a habbit) with my book bag that was pretty heavy. I'd say about 7-8lbs. I had my laptop, two notebooks, a textbook, and a bottle of water.

I noticed that when walking fast with this on my back I felt out of breath when I arrived home and my pulse was pounding. I kept saying to myself that this is normal and I gave myself a mini workout but deep down I just kept saying that I have a weak heart because of how easily out of breath I get. :weep:

[PokerFace]

Sounds very normal to me. Today I was cleaning the house to do something nice for my Mum and after about half an hour of hoovering & running up and down the stairs my heart was going and I was out of breath! If I walk to the shop my heart is going fast too.

Does sound like you're right, you gave yourself a mini work out. Just think of it this way, if you walk fast with a heavy bag your heart pumps harder because it has too, it's the same for everyone. xx

[RLR]

Hi Mark,

The actual symptoms of a "weak heart" produce physical weakness as well as dyspnea, or shortness of breath. If you actually had a weak heart, you would not have been able to walk fast at all and the weight of the load you describe would have resulted in physical collapse.

The nature of a weak heart also produces other constitutional signs which are certainly not present in your case, such as excessive fluid building up in the extremities and producing pitting edema, or respiratory congestion as a result of fluid building up in the lungs, poor circulation in the extremities, cyanosis, clubbing and a long list of other features consistent with a true weak heart. You have absolutely none of these clinical signs. You're trying to infer symptoms which you believe to be definitive of heart failure based upon very limited knowledge of the underlying clinical background required to do so accurately.

Understand that physical exertion produces physiological change in all persons and is necessary to elevate the cycle of gas-exchange in order to increase oxygen to the tissues so that you can meet the challenge successfully. The rate at which this exchange varies between persons and their relative state of fitness, but occurs nevertheless on all persons.

The heart pounds merely as a result of increased cardiac force. It does not mean the heart is working hard. It's just working. Whatever level of response is necessary for you to carry a significant load such as the one described is the one that will take place. It doesn't mean that your heart is weak, but merely that you are placing a certain demand on the body which is producing a response necessary to achieve it.

You're fine. Nothing is actually wrong with your heart in any context.

Best regards,

Rutheford Rane, MD (ret.)

[Mark801]

@Pokerface
Wow that was thoughtful of you. I'm sure she appreciated it. Mine races whem I clinb stairs and walk to the shop as well and with me, I tend to do things at a fast pace which I guess is supposed to make me breathe harder lol.

@RLR,

Once again i can't thank you enough for replying to my posts. I saw the one on your site as well and you know, deep down I really do think I freak myself out with all the rediculous googling. I mean I've convinced myslef that so many things is wrong with my heart that sometimes I'm literally scared to move from my seat. The mind really is a powerful thing.

It just sucks that I let my health anxiety mind take over when a normal response is happening and immediately realte it to something dire or panic which ofcorse makes it 100 times worse.

I used to be a very fit person when I look back playing many sports and exercising everday back in '08. But these past two years with my ups and dows, the only exercise I push myself with now is riding my bike cuz I'm scared I will harm myself. Just doing sit-ups, climbing stairs will make my heart pound and I freak out which I know only makes it worse. I'm just hoping that one day I can overcome this fear over my heart and start to be the way I used to be.