Chest Pain: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment

Chest pain is a frequent issue that many individuals have encountered at some stage in their lives.  It can occur in the upper body due to many possible causes.

Chest pain may result from heart issues, lung disorders, and other serious medical conditions like aortic dissection or blood clots

However, chest pain can also occur due to minor health issues like muscle strain or inflammation. Regardless of the cause, it’s crucial not to ignore chest pain as it could signal a serious health condition.

In this blog, we aim to provide comprehensive information on the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of chest pain.

Chest Pain – An Overview

Chest pain may be felt as tightness, pressure, squeezing, or burning sensation in the chest. The pain can be located anywhere in the upper body and may radiate to your neck or jaw on one or both sides of your body.

Chest pain is often indicative of a heart problem, but not always. The pain can also be caused by other conditions, such as acid reflux or lung disease. Moreover, it might be cardiac pain that is a common indicator of heart disease.

Such discomfort can be either dull or sharp in nature and may radiate outward from the breastbone or sternum region but not necessarily so.

What Chest Pain Causes?

Several things can chest pain causes. Common causes of chest pain include:

• Sprained or sore chest muscles
• Compression fractures
• Heart attack (myocardial infarction) – results from a blockage of blood flow to the heart muscle. It effectively communicates the common experience of chest pain being localized to the left side.
• Heartburn, indigestion, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) – digestive problems that cause a burning sensation or tightness in the chest.
• Acute bronchitis
• Injured ribs
• Pulmonary embolism – blood clot in the lung.
• Swallowing disorders refer to issues with the esophagus that cause pain or difficulty during swallowing.
• Asthma attacks that cause wheezing and shortness of breath
• Pleurisy refers to the inflammation of the membrane that surrounds and protects the lungs.
• Kidney stones or gallstones in the bile ducts can cause sharp abdominal pain on one side of your body.
• Pulmonary hypertension – high blood pressure in a lung artery
• Stomach ulcers can lead to intense burning pain in the upper abdomen.
• Lung-related illnesses like pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, or tuberculosis.
• Collapsed lung
• Anxiety disorders can lead to chest pain, while hormonal imbalances can cause heartburn, indigestion, and diarrhea.
• Panic attack chest pain
• Lung cancer
• Pneumonia

It’s also possible that you have a symptom of another medical condition that causes chest pains. Chest pain can be attributed to cardiac conditions such as angina, aortic dissection, cardiomyopathy, pericarditis, and myocarditis.

The most effective way to determine the cause of your chest pain is to discuss your symptoms with a doctor

Additional symptoms that can accompany chest pain include:

Common symptoms that often accompany chest pain include:

• Pain that occurs while eating
• Rash
• Runny nose
• Feelings of anxiety or panic
• Back pain
• Chest pressure
• A sour taste in the mouth
• Trouble while swallowing
• Pain that’s aggravated while sneezing or breathing deeply
• Fever
• Chills
• Cough
• Hyperventilating

When to See A Chest Specialist?

Not every instance of chest pain requires a visit to the Emergency Room (ER). However, it’s important to remain vigilant and heed what your body is indicating.

It’s advisable to consult a chest specialist doctor if you experience sudden chest pain lasting longer than 5-10 minutes. If the pain persists despite medication or rest, it could indicate severe cardiac issues.

Moreover, cardiac chest pain can be fatal, indicating a heart attack. You must rush to the doctor if you have the following symptoms:

• Heaviness or tightness in the chest
• Nausea or vomiting
• Pain in jaw, arm or back
• Erratic changes in breathing rate
• Fainting or light-headedness
• Dyspnea (Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath)
• Severe pain in the upper abdomen left arm & shoulder.
• Nail beds
• Sweating
• Chest pressure
• Blue lips
• Irregular or rapid heartbeat
• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Confusion

How is Chest Pain Diagnosed?

Chest pain is typically diagnosed through a combination of medical history and physical examination.

Your doctor will ask about the onset, duration, and location of your pain; what activity triggered it; whether it’s been continuous or intermittent; if anything seems to bring relief; if any other symptoms accompany the chest pain (like shortness of breath); and if you smoke or drink alcohol regularly.

The doctor may also order tests, including –

• X-ray or CT (Computerised Tomography) scan: to look for signs of lung disease in people who have chronic coughs without any apparent cause.
• Electrocardiogram (ECG): A test to record how fast the heart beats along with its rhythm over time—it can help identify irregular heartbeats that could indicate underlying cardiac problems.
• This is particularly crucial because some individuals with coronary artery disease may not exhibit typical symptoms as mentioned earlier.
• Blood tests: These tests enable doctors to check for elevated levels of certain enzymes or proteins typically found in heart muscle.
• MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging): A scan to locate any damage in the aorta or heart.
• Angiogram and stress tests

How is Chest Pain Treated?

The treatment for chest pain varies depending on its underlying cause. If you are experiencing chest pain, your doctor may suggest one or more of the following treatments:

• Lung reinflation for a collapsed lung.
• Painkillers
• Anti-anxiety medications: Used to treat chest pain associated with panic attacks.
• Cardiac catheterization: Involves using stents or balloons to open clogged arteries.
• Antacids: These neutralise acid, which can help relieve pain and inflammation in your oesophagus.
• Rest: Avoid strenuous activities if possible until you start feeling better.
• Avoiding triggers: Some foods and drinks can trigger heartburn in certain individuals, so it’s advisable to avoid them when experiencing chest pain related to GERD.
• Lifestyle changes.

Get Relief From Chest Pain at Amandeep Hospital

The bottom line is that chest pain isn’t normal and needs to be treated. It is one of the most common medical conditions, so it’s important to understand what causes it, how it’s diagnosed, and what treatments are available.

If you have chest pain, it’s important to be evaluated by a doctor. Lung conditions are the culprit in many cases of such pain. And they require immediate medical attention. Amandeep Hospital has expert Pulmonologists providing advanced diagnostic and therapeutic solutions for numerous thoracic and respiratory problems.

Our doctor can help you figure out if your chest pain is due to a serious condition or not. So, take care of your health. Visit us for a checkup by booking an appointment right away!