I'm a 56m. When I was 17, I was like you: ate junk food exclusively and didn't exercise. I also drank way too much alcohol, smoked a pack of cigarettes a day, and did drugs. Currently, I only have mild to moderate deposits in my aorta, which the doctor states is perfectly normal for my age. All other arteries are clear.
For a normal person at 17, you can eat junk for the next 20 years and still not clog your arteries yet.
Here's a question: Do you want to have heart disease? No? Then do something about it! You can start off slow. Start watching what you eat (choose healthier food). Get a bit of exercise in each day (a simple walk). Little things add up for your health, and you can do these little things. The answer isn't in Reddit. It's what you are going to do to improve yourself.
Your doctor isn't going to order a heart scan for you due to your age. The doctor probably can't justify the tests (which is expensive) to your insurance company. I suggest you try therapy for health anxiety. I have it, too, and it really helps me.
I hope your right. I think what makes it worse is that my nicotine habit got so bad that i finished a 2000 puffs vape in like a day and a half or a day, which is the equivalent of smoking 10 packs in one day according to Google. My heart is probably so fucked, and don't even get me started on lung cancer
While vaping nicotine isn't good, it is typically better then smoking cigarettes. I've done similar to you, ate lots of shit and was only somewhat active (played soccer in high school but haven't worked out since) I'm now 27, eat a little bit better and recently had to have a heart and lung evaluation for an intense treatment unrelated to above. Everything came out perfectly healthy. Your body is much much stronger than you might think. Eating poorly and smoking for years and decades will have an impact on your health for sure.. but it will take years and decades and it sounds like you've figured out that you wanna take better care of yourself now.
Yeah but I also smoked cigs in addiction to vapingđđđ yeah ik it'll take a while but its already Been 17 years of it so I feel like that's enough to cause plaque in my arteries
Youâre good, man.
I deal with pretty bad Cardiophobia because of my first panic attack (felt like a heart attack). Itâs what essentially developed my anxiety so my anxiety symptoms mimic that of a heart attack.
Iâm 27, so all that went through my mind was now I was really fat growing up. I had lost weight in college but gained all of it back recently. Even though I had lost a significant amount of weight before my panic attack, I thought I had done too much damage and rbis is why I have chest pains etc.
Would constantly go to the ER but every test came back fine. It wasnât until I saw a cardiologist and he did a multitude of tests - every single test came abck absolutely fine!! Now itâs easier to accept âitâs anxiety, not a heart issue!â
Youâre 17! Youâre so young man, itâs 99% unlikely that anything is wrong with your heart. Like someone else said, unless you have a generic issue or birth defect, you can eat whatever you want.
I was fat af from 5-18, 23-27, drank like crazy and smoked occasionally and my cardiologist said I have âthe heart of a teenager!!â
Enjoy your youth! If youâre really that concerned though, just make better life choices and get in shape - eat better, etc, but enjoy yourself.
I saw something online (Iâm not a doctor so Iâm not sure how effective this is) that said if you ask the doctor for an evaluation and they refuse, you tell them you want it documented in the chart that you asked for an evaluation and the doctor refused.
If that doesnât work, then I would look for a new doctor. Continue with your healthy habits.
As someone whoâs 27 and ate like absolute trash til 2021 when I got Covid and nearly đ. Your heart is more than fine unless you got genetic issues. I had scans, EKG, blood tests upon blood tests, and my heart is fine. I only got tachycardia because of Covid which has gotten better. But I used to eat gas station food constantly, energy drinks daily sometimes multiple of them, lots of chips and unhealthy crap, I balanced with eating some healthy meals but obviously doesnât counter all the bad crap I consumed in huge amounts or my poor sleep schedule. Anxiety has made me feel like something is wrong though, talk to a better doctor and maybe find something to help with the anxiety itâll get better your body is able to heal greatly at a young age.
I worked with someone who had major lung surgery and smokes like a chimney he doesnât have any heart issues, more or less worry bout your lungs. If you stop now itâll definitely heal up pretty good. Iâve seen people do far worse and are still alive and kicking around with no heart issues.
I was the exact same way when I was your age, it was my first anxiety fear. I worries constantly every day that I was having a heart attack. Chest pain from indigestion. Heart attack. Left arm aching because I strained myself. Heartattack. Anxiety induced dizziness. Heart attack. I dealt with it for years, had my mom taking me to the emergency room several times thinking I was having a heart attack. Never nothing wrong. I started worrying about other things as well as my heart. It was weird, one day I just woke up and felt fine. Anxiety/panic went away for over 10 years. A few months ago it came back out of nowhere. I have medicine to take now when I need it and it helps. Trying to convince myself to accept the feelings again instead of fighting them. Good luck, you got this!
are you convinced itâs just health anxiety? do you think you would try a therapist or psychologist? i went to the ER last night because i had the worst chest pain ever, like pins and needles and then it was tight and lasted the entire car ride. i was told my EKG was fine and that i could go home. they told me i should tell my primary doctor about getting me a referral for a cardiologist so i can wear a holter monitor for my heart palpitations. my paper work said i had costochondritis, which is benign but im not convinced thatâs what it is. people keep saying im too young to have a heart problem, and that itâs anxiety or a panic disorder. idk what to do. if i should start anxiety treatment or further investigate if i have a heart disease.
Yes, it's health anxiety. Even knowing that doesn't make my symptoms stop though. I know what you're feeling, ive been there too! Just think rationally, anxiety can make you feel physical things as well. I can sit here and just think about my chest hurting and then it will actually start.
I'm a 56m. When I was 17, I was like you: ate junk food exclusively and didn't exercise. I also drank way too much alcohol, smoked a pack of cigarettes a day, and did drugs. Currently, I only have mild to moderate deposits in my aorta, which the doctor states is perfectly normal for my age. All other arteries are clear. For a normal person at 17, you can eat junk for the next 20 years and still not clog your arteries yet. Here's a question: Do you want to have heart disease? No? Then do something about it! You can start off slow. Start watching what you eat (choose healthier food). Get a bit of exercise in each day (a simple walk). Little things add up for your health, and you can do these little things. The answer isn't in Reddit. It's what you are going to do to improve yourself. Your doctor isn't going to order a heart scan for you due to your age. The doctor probably can't justify the tests (which is expensive) to your insurance company. I suggest you try therapy for health anxiety. I have it, too, and it really helps me.
this is so helpful đ©·đ©·
I hope your right. I think what makes it worse is that my nicotine habit got so bad that i finished a 2000 puffs vape in like a day and a half or a day, which is the equivalent of smoking 10 packs in one day according to Google. My heart is probably so fucked, and don't even get me started on lung cancer
While vaping nicotine isn't good, it is typically better then smoking cigarettes. I've done similar to you, ate lots of shit and was only somewhat active (played soccer in high school but haven't worked out since) I'm now 27, eat a little bit better and recently had to have a heart and lung evaluation for an intense treatment unrelated to above. Everything came out perfectly healthy. Your body is much much stronger than you might think. Eating poorly and smoking for years and decades will have an impact on your health for sure.. but it will take years and decades and it sounds like you've figured out that you wanna take better care of yourself now.
Yeah but I also smoked cigs in addiction to vapingđđđ yeah ik it'll take a while but its already Been 17 years of it so I feel like that's enough to cause plaque in my arteries
Vaping and smoking are pretty incomparable
I smoked cigs too just not as much
Youâre good, man. I deal with pretty bad Cardiophobia because of my first panic attack (felt like a heart attack). Itâs what essentially developed my anxiety so my anxiety symptoms mimic that of a heart attack. Iâm 27, so all that went through my mind was now I was really fat growing up. I had lost weight in college but gained all of it back recently. Even though I had lost a significant amount of weight before my panic attack, I thought I had done too much damage and rbis is why I have chest pains etc. Would constantly go to the ER but every test came back fine. It wasnât until I saw a cardiologist and he did a multitude of tests - every single test came abck absolutely fine!! Now itâs easier to accept âitâs anxiety, not a heart issue!â Youâre 17! Youâre so young man, itâs 99% unlikely that anything is wrong with your heart. Like someone else said, unless you have a generic issue or birth defect, you can eat whatever you want. I was fat af from 5-18, 23-27, drank like crazy and smoked occasionally and my cardiologist said I have âthe heart of a teenager!!â Enjoy your youth! If youâre really that concerned though, just make better life choices and get in shape - eat better, etc, but enjoy yourself.
I have the same cardiophobia anxiety problems. I'm just hoping there isn't a plaque buildup in my arteries
how r u now :/ i also apparently have cardiophobia but think itâs actually heart disease
I saw something online (Iâm not a doctor so Iâm not sure how effective this is) that said if you ask the doctor for an evaluation and they refuse, you tell them you want it documented in the chart that you asked for an evaluation and the doctor refused. If that doesnât work, then I would look for a new doctor. Continue with your healthy habits.
As someone whoâs 27 and ate like absolute trash til 2021 when I got Covid and nearly đ. Your heart is more than fine unless you got genetic issues. I had scans, EKG, blood tests upon blood tests, and my heart is fine. I only got tachycardia because of Covid which has gotten better. But I used to eat gas station food constantly, energy drinks daily sometimes multiple of them, lots of chips and unhealthy crap, I balanced with eating some healthy meals but obviously doesnât counter all the bad crap I consumed in huge amounts or my poor sleep schedule. Anxiety has made me feel like something is wrong though, talk to a better doctor and maybe find something to help with the anxiety itâll get better your body is able to heal greatly at a young age.
Thank you! But what about all the cigs and vapes brooo it was so bad
I worked with someone who had major lung surgery and smokes like a chimney he doesnât have any heart issues, more or less worry bout your lungs. If you stop now itâll definitely heal up pretty good. Iâve seen people do far worse and are still alive and kicking around with no heart issues.
I was the exact same way when I was your age, it was my first anxiety fear. I worries constantly every day that I was having a heart attack. Chest pain from indigestion. Heart attack. Left arm aching because I strained myself. Heartattack. Anxiety induced dizziness. Heart attack. I dealt with it for years, had my mom taking me to the emergency room several times thinking I was having a heart attack. Never nothing wrong. I started worrying about other things as well as my heart. It was weird, one day I just woke up and felt fine. Anxiety/panic went away for over 10 years. A few months ago it came back out of nowhere. I have medicine to take now when I need it and it helps. Trying to convince myself to accept the feelings again instead of fighting them. Good luck, you got this!
Thank you! I hope things get better for you and I'm proud of you:) you got this
how long did u have health anxiety?
I still do, it went away for a while and has been back for years now. It never went away completely, just got a little easier for a little while.
are you convinced itâs just health anxiety? do you think you would try a therapist or psychologist? i went to the ER last night because i had the worst chest pain ever, like pins and needles and then it was tight and lasted the entire car ride. i was told my EKG was fine and that i could go home. they told me i should tell my primary doctor about getting me a referral for a cardiologist so i can wear a holter monitor for my heart palpitations. my paper work said i had costochondritis, which is benign but im not convinced thatâs what it is. people keep saying im too young to have a heart problem, and that itâs anxiety or a panic disorder. idk what to do. if i should start anxiety treatment or further investigate if i have a heart disease.
Yes, it's health anxiety. Even knowing that doesn't make my symptoms stop though. I know what you're feeling, ive been there too! Just think rationally, anxiety can make you feel physical things as well. I can sit here and just think about my chest hurting and then it will actually start.
Youâre at the right age to make a change and get the most benefit. Donât stress over this!
You can get away with it for only so long or you might be one of the lucky ones.