Do you have any medical problems?

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

I ask patients this question frequently. Some immediately get irritated with me and tell me to “just look in the computer.” And as with every patient, I do look in the medical record regarding their prior medical problems, recent clinic/ER visits/hospital admissions, and medications. However, asking the question tells me a lot about how tuned in they are to their medical problems, and it gives me some idea of their medical literacy. Their involvement and degree of concern about their medical problems often figure into whatever is going on.

Cardiology and Anxiety

Fri, 08 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I see lots of patients who deal with anxiety because of their medical conditions. Last night, I had a woman who gets palpitations frequently. She calls 911 and comes to the ER. She has been seen by Cardiology and does not have any underlying cardiac rhythms that would be considered concerning. She has PVCs and PACs, which can be distressing but are not typically thought to be dangerous. They don’t require interventions or medications, but she has also at times had atrial fibrillation, which is a more concerning cardiac rhythm. She has been evaluated by Cardiology, has worn extended cardiac monitors to try to capture the rhythm, which has been unsuccessful. She is clearly distressed when these palpitations happen because she thinks it’s something dangerous. I can’t fault her for that; it actually could be something dangerous, but most of the time it is not.

Heart Disease on Paul Nystrom

Do you have any medical problems?

Cardiology and Anxiety