7 Fact About Chest Pain
Not all chest pains indicate heart attack; they can occur due to heartburn or muscle spasm. But, you must not ignore the severity of the situation. Ignoring chest pain can lead to life-threatening consequences.
You must have an idea – of how to differentiate between heartburn and heart attack. Let’s get to know the potential reasons behind chest pain. And, always consult with a reputed chest pain specialist near you.
Common reasons behind chest pain
Angina
Angina is a medical term used to describe chest pain or a tight pressure around your chest cavity. It is not a heart attack. In this case, the amount of blood flowing through your heart muscles reduces, and it cannot meet the normal blood supply demand.
Angina typically occurs due to the build-up of plaque in the arteries. This restricts blood flow and increases the tension within the valves. The general sensations are burning and a tight grip on your chest, squeezing the chest cavity, etc.
It is of 2 types:
- Stable – which occurs due to emotional stress.
- Unstable – which occurs even while you are at rest.
It is a general warning sign that you have underlying coronary artery disease. And, it can lead to a heart attack if not taken immediate medical measures.
Pericarditis
It is an inflammatory condition of the sac present around the heart, usually led by an infection. Apart from the neck or shoulder muscle, the pain rises sharply, making it difficult to breathe or swallow food. If you lie down on your back, the situation can go out of hand.
Myocarditis
This is also an inflammatory condition of the hot muscle where you feel severe chest pain and breathing problems, fatigue, and fever. So, contact a chest pain specialist immediately.
Aortic dchest pain specialistissection
This is a life-threatening condition and relatively uncommon where the aorta, the body’s largest artery, receives damage and tears. You may experience severe pain and a ripping sensation in your abdomen and throughout the neck.
Non-cardiac conditions
Evey chest pain might not be associated with your heart. You must be aware that other organs and tissues are related to the chest cavity – lungs, muscle, tendons, esophagus, nerves, etc.
Gastrointestinal diseases such as stomach ulcers, gallstones or any lung conditions such as pneumonia, blood clots, or a collapsed lung can also lead to chest pain. Severe panic disorder asthma or tendon strain is also a potential source of chest pain.
It is always advised to consult a chest pain specialist if you feel persistent pain or any sudden pain that lasts for more than 5 minutes.
Is there a difference in chest pain between men and women?
Based on experience shared – women, people with diabetes, and aged adults do not usually experience chest pain during a heart attack. They show other symptoms, such as dizziness, shortness of breath, nausea, chest pain radiating to both arms, etc.
This states that chest pain is not always a warning sign of a heart attack. Some people have even shared that they didn’t experience pain before a heart attack. So, always look out for signs, such as palpitation, sweating, faster heartbeat, etc.
Tests are prescribed, along with medications, to understand the present condition of the chest. Whether it is a cardiac or non-cardiac condition, based on that, treatment is advised.
Conclusion
Preventing chest pain means reducing medical ailments, and this can only be achieved through a healthy lifestyle. You need to maintain a strict diet, exercise, and reduce the consumption of alcohol and nicotine products. Never go for over-the-counter medicines and seek immediate help. Visit ILS Hospitals for advanced treatments for managing chest pain.
What are the basic causes of Chest Pain: Suggestion of a Chest Pain specialist
Do you experience a burning sensation in your chest after having a spicy meal? Does it lead to chest pain? Usually, such situations are concluded as signs of indigestion. But, a chest pain specialist warns that it can be life-threatening if failed to diagnose at the right time. Because early signs of a heart attack are often misinterpreted as acid reflux.
Chest pain, also called angina, is considered a prominent symptom of heart ailment, but there can be non-cardiac reasons. About 20-40 % of the general population suffer from chest pain every day.
Depending on the cause, chest pain can vary based on – quality, intensity, duration and location.
So, let’s understand when chest pain is an emergency.
What causes chest pain?
Chest pain may be triggered by any internal structure such as the abdomen, heart or superficial structures such as the connective tissue, nerves etc.
People usually prefer over-the-counter medicines to cure chest pain. But, unknowingly, they are inviting a critical medical emergency. Thus, if you experience sudden chest pain (or you are already on medication), it is best to contact a chest pain specialist.
Most of the problems are hard to detect from a general overview and require immediate intervention by a specialist for a more appropriate diagnosis and treatment.
Ailments associated with chest pain
The first thought associated with chest pain is a heart attack, but usually, the symptoms are vague and vary from one person to another. Thus, making it hard to detect.
Alongside, there can be many other reasons, such as high blood pressure, blocked artery, and only a chest pain specialist can determine the actual cause.
Muscle and bone-related:
Muscle strain
The chest pain can increase if you have an inflamed muscle or tendon near the ribs or chest cavity. The pain slowly increases and eventually becomes unbearable.
Injured ribs
If you have suffered from an injury leading to bruises or fractured ribs, it can lead to chest pain.
Digestive related:
Gastroesophageal reflux disease
If the food particles in the stomach thrust the valves and try to make their way out through the oesophagus, it can cause chest pain. You will also get a sour taste in your mouth.
Lung related:
Asthma
It is one of the most common breathing disorders and leads to inflammation of the air tubes, which eventually generates chest pain. You might also experience breathing problems and coughing.
Pneumonia
Lung infections significantly impact the chest cavity, which induces chest pain. The general symptoms are fever, cough and formation of phlegm.
Heart-related:
Pulmonary embolism
The artery carrying blood from the heart to the lungs gets clogged, or there is the formation of a blood clot, which can lead to difficulty in breathing and excessive chest pain.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
This occurs due to genetic factors where the heart muscles become thick and disrupt the blood flow, causing the muscle to work harder. This puts a strain on the heart, which leads to chest pain. You will also experience dizziness, nausea, dizziness, etc.
Other causes:
Panic attacks
Due to fear, you can get panic attacks which have the initial symptom of chest pain, nausea, excessive sweating, increased heartbeat.
Try to understand when it is a medical emergency
Preventing chest pain requires a detailed symptom log.
Look out for:
- Feeling a crushing sensation on the chest cavity.
- The chest pain diffuses into the jaw, back and left arm.
- Accelerated breathing with increasing chest pain.
Next, answer a few basic questions about experiencing chest pain:
- When does it occur (Recall the activities before it gets triggered)?
- How long does the chest pain last?
- Does it spread to other parts of the body?
- Does the condition improve after a minute or get worse?
Diagnosis and Treatment
Electrocardiogram, blood test, chest X-ray, echocardiogram, MRI, stress tests are the most common diagnostic tests. Based on the reports, the treatments include medications, cardiac catheterization, bypass surgery, lung reinflation, antacids for acid reflux and heartburn, or anti-anxiety medications for stress.
If you are unsure about the cause of chest pain, visit ILS Hospitals and get a broad array of advanced treatments and meet experienced chest pain specialists.
What Could Be The Potential Cause of Chest Pain?
Have you ever felt a deep stabbing pain in your chest or continued discomfort around the chest area? It is time for you to consult a chest pain specialist soon. Do not worry, these pains are not always dangerous. Several causes can create chest pain.
However, most of us predict that chest pain is a result of heart-related problems. In this article, we see some of the possible reasons that cause chest pain.
Different Causes Of Chest Pain
In case you are facing severe chest pain, you should rush to a chest pain specialist immediately. A few probable causes for chest pain are listed below;
Muscle strain
Often muscle pull or inflammation around the ribs causes chest pain. If it grows severe, it can result in muscle spasms. Mostly working out or lifting heavy weight leads to such chest pain.
Rib Injury
In any situation, if you get any injury due to an accident, mainly on the chest or rib area, it can cause chest pain. Due to a broken rib also, any individual can feel a sharp pain in the chest.
Peptic Ulcers
The stomach lining contains peptic ulcers. If you are going through any stomach disorder, this pain can go up to the chest.
Gastric Issues (GERD)
Gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD is a common reason for chest pain. The food substance does not get digested properly in the stomach, and often, it is pushed upward, causing pain. Moreover, you may feel nausea and a sore throat.
Asthma
The shortness of breath, wheezing, and continuous coughing are a tendency of acute asthma. It can gradually increase with sharp chest pain and causes inflammation or rough blockage in the throat area.
Lung Collapse
When air space is found between the ribs and lungs, it causes tremendous pressure on the chest. Again, due to collapsed lungs, you can feel the fast heartbeat, shortness of breath, and tiredness. Immediately consult a nearby chest specialist.
In this context, you should know chest pain can also occur due to pneumonia. You may feel sharp chest pain along with fever and cough. Tuberculosis is mainly a bacteria that can cause chest congestion inside the lungs with severe pain.
Costochondritis
When the rib cage gets inflammation, it causes costochondritis. In this condition, a person can feel discomfort or pain in the chest area during any physical activity like walking, lying, or even sitting.
Disorder Of Esophagus
Oesophagus disorders are primarily the result of problems in the food pipe. Again, the hypersensitive oesophagus is caused due to formation of acid in the food pipe. In both of these situations, a person can feel chest pain.
Panic or Anxiety
Often depression, stress, anxiety, and panic attacks can cause chest pain. You may feel tiredness, shortness of breath, with a high heartbeat due to this.
Heart Attack
For heart attacks, you may feel chest pain with other salient symptoms such as pain in the jaw and back, weakness, and shortness of breath. There can be other heart-related conditions leading to chest pain such as Angina. Due to Angina, you can feel a squeezing in your heart area. It mainly occurs when the blood cannot flow smoothly to your heart.
Inflamed heart or Myocarditis is the same as a heart attack but causes chest pain. However, you may feel feverish and have a racing heartbeat during this condition.
When Should You Consult A Doctor?
If your chest pain is new or lasting for hours, you should immediately visit the nearby hospital. Consider the following symptoms before going to the doctor;
-A crushing pain in the chest and breastbone
-The chest pain moving towards the left arm and jaw area
-Rapid heartbeat
-Confused state of mind
Conclusion
Always remember prevention is better than cure. Hence, if you face any pain around your chest area and it does not cure you by taking antacid medicines, consult the nearby chest pain specialist at https://www.ilshospitals.com/ immediately.