"The ECG is normal, but the chest pain won't go away": What might explain the phenomenon?

The medical column of Maariv answers readers' questions: chest pain with a normal ECG, brain mapping after injury, anxiety after pacemaker implantation, hernia after bowel surgery, drug treatment for arterial stenosis, seconds of forgetfulness before a fall, leg numbness due to Parkinson's, and a meningioma that grew by a millimeter.

The medical Q&A column of Maariv, with Dr. Rafi Karsu, answers readers' questions on various topics. A 63-year-old reader reports a dull chest pain on the heart side, occurring at rest and while driving but not during exercise, with normal ECG and blood tests. Dr. Karsu assesses that the pain is not cardiac and suggests it may be a muscle contraction due to stress, spinal changes, or intercostal neuritis. Another reader, 58, asks about the safety of brain mapping after a head injury; the answer reassures that the radioactive material is not dangerous and clears the body quickly. A 78-year-old reader, who had a pacemaker implanted after a fall, describes anxiety, depression, and sleep difficulties; Dr. Karsu explains this is common reactive depression and recommends continuing sertraline treatment and trying sleep improvement methods. Additional questions cover hernia after bowel surgery, drug treatment for arterial stenosis, seconds of forgetfulness before a fall, leg numbness due to Parkinson's, and a meningioma that grew by a millimeter. The answers are based solely on the readers' descriptions, without clinical examination.