What is athletic heart syndrome?

Unfortunately, there are so many diseases and health disorders that a layman cannot be aware of all these even the doctors are surprised to discover health problems which they never knew existed in the first place. Last year, a friend of mine was diagnosed with athletic heart syndrome. As sad it may sound, it was actually not. We consulted one of the best cardiologists in Mumbai. When the diagnosis was complete, the doctor actually laughed and said, 'I should have guessed it before from your body.'

Are you surprised by the statement? Well, we were. The details of athletic heart syndrome explained in the coming lines will give an answer to your surprise as well. The doctor who supervised my friend, he is considered as belonging to the ranking of one of the best heart surgeon. He assured us that our friend was fit enough to not undergo any type of treatment program.

Basically, people who are not from the sedentary lifestyle like me (I am working on it) who like to exercise and keep their bodies well-built. For instance, people who play sports, to simply put, the athletic ones, their hearts undergo some structural changes over the course of their exercising routine.

As I explained to that heart doctor in India,  my friend is an ardent swimmer, he has been winning accolades for his amazing performance and grace in the waters. Since the past few weeks, he has been complaining of slight chest pain. After a physical examination, the staff of that heart hospital in Mumbai made my friend run through some diagnostic test including an ECG. When the results came out they weren't normal, we were scared of the consequences but the doctors explained that it was okay for my friend because he has quite an active lifestyle. For individuals like him, who have active daily schedules, their hearts adapt themselves to their type of lifestyle. Since my friend was working over his body on a daily basis and keeping himself activities for extraordinary hours, or to say that that type of lifestyle he has invested himself into, his heart has patterned to work in an eligible form for his lifestyle,  slightly different  people and thereby, the reports were normal considering his special case.

But one thing to notice at this point is that not every case of athletic heart syndrome can be left untreated. In fact, if athletic heart syndrome is accompanied by additional heart problems, then such patients can be made to undergo minimally invasive cardiac surgery in India. In case of my friend, he was perfectly healthy apart from the condition of athletic heart syndrome and diagnostic assessments carried out proved that there was no other additional cardiovascular problem which could put him at the risk of critical complications or in extreme cases, towards life-threatening consequences.

There were two other cases of athletic heart syndrome being dealt at that Invasive Cardiology hospital. In one of the cases, the condition of athletic heart syndrome was diagnosed after the player collapsed during a friendly game and has to be taken to the hospital for emergency treatment. It was after the necessary tests were completed them it was reached upon that the patient suffered a sudden drop in the blood sugar levels and he was suffering from athletic heart syndrome. Doctors prescribed him with few lifestyle changes to be incorporated for best results and long term condition and as with my friend, he came back with likewise pieces of advice.