When To Consult A Heart Specialist For Chest Pains
Shortness of breath, chest pain, palpitations or dizziness? These symptoms can be the indication of abnormal heart rhythm or coronary artery disease.
Is the chest pain you're experiencing just indigestion from a spicy meal or an alarm of a more serious issue requiring medical attention?
Chest pain (angina) is a key indicator of coronary heart disease, the most common type of heart disease, which kills 365,000 people each year. The majority of the chest pain, however, is not caused by a heart attack.
A heart attack isn't usually indicated by chest pain. However, because it is the most immediate threat to your life, health care experts will usually test for it first. They may also look for life-threatening lung conditions like a collapsed lung or a blood clot.
Common Causes of Chest Pain
Chest pain can be caused by heart and lung problems, however it can also be caused by problems in your throat, muscles, ribs, or nerves. The only way to determine the source of your chest pain is to consult with a physician.
Here are some of the most common heart problems that can cause chest pain, particularly on the left side of the chest:
Coronary artery disease (CAD)
CAD causes the heart's blood arteries to narrow, limiting blood and oxygen flow to the heart muscle. This could feel like squeezing or pressure in your arm, jaw, back, or shoulder.
Myocarditis
Myocarditis pain might be quite similar to that of a heart attack. The pain in the upper neck and shoulder muscles might be intense and constant. When you breathe, swallow food, or lie on your back, it might sometimes get worse.
Common Causes of Chest Pain
CAD causes the heart's blood arteries to narrow, limiting blood and oxygen flow to the heart muscle. This could feel like squeezing or pressure in your arm, jaw, back, or shoulder.
Myocarditis
Myocarditis pain might be quite similar to that of a heart attack. The pain in the upper neck and shoulder muscles might be intense and constant. When you breathe, swallow food, or lie on your back, it might sometimes get worse.
Lung disorders can also cause chest pain. It's possible that you have a lung disease if you experience right-sided chest pain. Chest pain can be caused by the following lung conditions:
Pericarditis
When the sac around the heart becomes inflamed or infected, this condition may develop. This can feel like a strained muscle and generate a sharp, continuous discomfort along the upper neck and shoulder.
Mitral valve prolapse
This is a rarer condition, in which one of the heart valves does not close properly and cause chest pain, dizziness and palpitations.
Pneumonia
This is an infection in the lungs that can cause pleurisy and other types of chest pain like deep chest ache.
Lung cancer
In the early stages of lung cancer, there are not often symptoms, telltale signs can include persistent coughing and pain in the chest or back that’s unrelated to pain from coughing.
When to Consult a Cardiologist for Chest Pain?
Call 112 right away if you feel pain or a squeezing sensation in your chest and have any of the following additional symptoms of a heart attack:
You should consult the doctor immediately if you are experiencing chest pain. Only a doctor can diagnose something as serious as chest pain. Tell them about any other symptoms you are experiencing in addition to your chest pain, as well as how severe the pain is, where it is, when it occurs, and how long it lasts.
Chest Pain Consultants
Seek medical help for any non-emergency chest pain. The physician can assess your symptoms and may refer you to the following specialist for further treatment.
You may help the doctor make a more accurate diagnosis by telling him or her about your chest pain in as much detail as possible, as well as any other changes in your health. The more information your doctor has regarding your chest discomfort, the easier it will be for him or her to figure out what's causing it and prescribe appropriate treatment.
