Dr. Nikhil Govind, DNB(Internal Medicine), MRCP-1(UK)
Is the chest pain you're experiencing just indigestion from a spicy meal, or could your body be alerting you to a more serious issue requiring medical attention?
Chest pain–is a key indicator of coronary heart disease, the most common type of heart disease that kills 365,000 people each year. Here's what you need to know about chest pain, its causes, and when to consult a heart doctor.
What causes chest pain?
Chest pain may be caused by any body structure in the chest – or even abdomen – including superficial structures such as the skin, connective tissue and surface nerves or deep structures and organs such as the heart, lungs and stomach. Other non-cardiac conditions causing chest pain could include shingles, inflammation of the chest wall nerves or cartilage of the ribcage, peptic ulcers or GERD, spasm of the esophagus and, rarely, inflammation of the pancreas or gallbladder. Chest pain may be due to an injury to the chest, a pulled muscle, a lung problem, or acid reflux.
The causes that concern us the most are due to either a blockage in the artery of the heart or a problem with one of the valves of the heart. High blood pressure can also cause chest pain and is a cause for concern. If any of these causes are suspected, patients should see their doctor. Sometimes it's hard to differentiate, but your doctor can help.
How do I know if my chest pain is serious or is due to a heart condition?
Chest pain arising from heart conditions is generally slow to start and slow to resolve, lasting minutes to hours, not seconds. It is often associated with other worrisome symptoms such as shortness of breath, passing out or nearly passing out, nausea, vomiting and profuse sweating. Cardiac chest pain can also radiate to the neck, jaw or inner aspect of the left arm; it rarely changes with position but will worsen with exertion or physical activity.
When should someone see a doctor for chest pain?
See a doctor anytime you are worried by your chest pain, especially those ,who are diabetic or smoker. Patients can present with a number of symptoms that they may not normally associate with heart disease such as: Neck pain, Jaw pain, Back pain, Abdominal pain, Shortness of breath etc.
Chest pain can be due to a number of causes, but if a patient has developed chest pain, especially while exercising, they should definitely see a doctor. In general, all chest pains should be evaluated by a physician unless there was a clear and reversible cause for it (mild trauma, cuts, burns, bruises, etc.).It should be noted that early stages of a heart attack are often misinterpreted as gas, indigestion or heartburn and pulmonary embolism (blood clots traveling to the lungs) are often misinterpreted as a variety of lung conditions such as asthma, pneumonia, pleurisy or emphysema. Chest pain that is persistent or worsening, increasing in intensity or frequency or associated with any of the above symptoms should be urgently evaluated.
In short, Chest pain is a serious business. If you think yours might be due to a heart attack, take action right away. The sooner you are checked out, the sooner you can get the kind of artery-opening therapy that can protect your heart from permanent damage.