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.