Chest pain

Related Tags: Cabg surgery | Treatment for heart attack | Emergency cardiac surgery | Hospitals for cardiac arrest treatment

Definition: 

Chest pain is discomfort or pain that you feel anywhere along the front of your body between your neck and upper abdomen

Hospitals for cardiac arrest treatment

Alternative Names:

Chest tightness; Chest pressure; Chest discomfort

Causes:

Heart or blood vessel problems that can cause chest pain:

• Angina or a heart attack: The most common symptom is chest pain that may feel like tightness, heavy pressure, squeezing, or crushing pain. The pain may spread to the arm, shoulder, jaw, or back.
• Aortic dissection : A tear in the wall of the aorta, the large blood vessel that takes blood from the heart to the rest of the body  causes sudden, severe pain in the chest and upper back.
• Pericarditis : Swelling (inflammation) in the sac that surrounds the heart  causes pain in the center part of the chest.

Lung problems that can cause chest pain:

• Pulmonary embolism : A blood clot in the lung
• Pneumothorax: Collapse of the lung
• Pneumonia causes a sharp chest pain that often gets worse when you take a deep breath or cough.
• Pleurisy : Swelling of the lining around the lung can cause chest pain that usually feels sharp, and often gets worse when you take a deep breath or cough.

Other causes of chest pain:

• Panic attack, which often occurs with fast breathing
• Costochondritis: Inflammation where the ribs join the breast bone or sternum
• Shingles, which causes sharp, tingling pain on one side that stretches from the chest to the back, and may cause a rash
• Strain of the muscles and tendons between the ribs

 Chest pain can also be due to the following digestive system problems:

• Spasms or narrowing of the esophagus (the tube that carries food from the mouth to the stomach)
• Gallstones cause pain that gets worse after a meal (most often a fatty meal).
• Heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux (GERD)
• Stomach ulcer or gastritis: Burning pain occurs if your stomach is empty and feels better when you eat food

When to Contact a Medical Professional if:

• You have sudden crushing, squeezing, tightening,  pressure in your chest.
• Pain spreads (radiates) to your jaw, left arm, or between your shoulder blades.
• You have nausea, dizziness, sweating, a racing heart, or shortness of breath.
• You know you have angina and your chest discomfort is suddenly more intense, brought on by exertion and decresases with rest or on taking sorbitrate
• Your angina symptoms occur while you are at rest.
• You have been diagnosed with a serious condition, such as heart attack or pulmonary embolism.

Your risk of having a heart attack is greater if:

• You have a family history of heart disease
• You smoke, use cocaine, or are overweight
• You have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes
• You already have heart disease

Call your doctor if:

• You have chest pain that is severe and does not go away

What to Expect at Your Office Visit:

Your doctor may ask questions such as:

• Is the pain between the shoulder blades? Under the breast bone? Does the pain change location? Is it on one side only?
• How would you describe the pain? (severe, tearing or ripping, sharp, stabbing, burning, squeezing, tight, pressure-like, crushing, aching, dull, heavy)
• Does it begin suddenly? Does the pain occur at the same time each day?
• Does the pain get better or worse when you move?
• Can you make the pain happen by pressing on a part of your chest?
• Is the pain getting worse? How long does the pain last?
• Does the pain go from your chest into your shoulder, arm, neck, jaw, or back?
• Is the pain worse when you are breathing deeply, coughing, eating, or bending?
• Is the pain worse when you are exercising? Is it better after you rest? Does it go away completely, or is there just less pain?
• Is the pain better after you take nitroglycerin medicine? After you eat or take antacids? After you belch?
• What other symptoms do you have?

The types of tests that are done depend on the cause of the pain, and what other medical problems or risk factors you have.

 

http://www.asianheartinstitute.org/

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Milan Tomic

Hi. I’m Designer of Blog Magic. I’m CEO/Founder of ThemeXpose. I’m Creative Art Director, Web Designer, UI/UX Designer, Interaction Designer, Industrial Designer, Web Developer, Business Enthusiast, StartUp Enthusiast, Speaker, Writer and Photographer. Inspired to make things looks better.

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