Chest Pain: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment

Chest pain is a common problem that most people have experienced at some point in their lives. It can occur in the upper body due to many possible causes.

Chest pain can be caused by heart problems, lung disorders, and other serious medical conditions such as aortic dissection or blood clots.

However, there are also many cases where chest pain occurs due to minor health concerns such as muscle strain or inflammation. Whatever the reason, you must not ignore chest pain as it might be pointing toward a severe health condition!

In this blog, we try to offer you all the information on chest pain causes, diagnosis and treatment.

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. Some of the most common chest pain causes include:

• Sprained or sore chest muscles
• Compression fractures
• Heart attack (myocardial infarction) – results from a blockage of blood flow to the heart muscle. It is mostly experienced as left chest pain.
• 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 – problems of the oesophagus making swallowing painful.
• Asthma attacks that cause wheezing and shortness of breath
• Pleurisy – inflammation of the membrane that covers the lungs
• Kidney stones or gallstones in the bile ducts that result in sharp abdominal pain on one side of your body
• Pulmonary hypertension – high blood pressure in a lung artery
• Stomach ulcers that cause severe burning pain in your upper abdomen
• Lung-related illnesses such as pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, or tuberculosis
• Collapsed lung
• Anxiety disorders can also cause chest pains as well as hormonal imbalances that cause heartburn, indigestion and diarrhoea.
• Panic attack chest pain
• Lung cancer
• Pneumonia

It’s also possible that you have a symptom of another medical condition that causes chest pains. Heart pain causes are linked with cardiac conditions such as angina, aortic dissection, cardiomyopathy, pericarditis, myocarditis, etc.

The best way to figure out what’s causing your chest pain is by talking with a doctor about your symptoms.

Other Symptoms that may occur with Chest Pain

Some common chest pain symptoms that accompany the discomfort are:

• 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 bout of chest pain will land you in the Emergency Room (ER). Nonetheless, you must stay vigilant about what your body is trying to tell you.

It is best to contact a chest specialist doctor if you experience sudden chest pain that lasts longer than 5-10 minutes. If the ache does not subside even after medication or rest, it might be severe cardiac pain.

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 usually diagnosed based on your medical history and physical exam.

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 especially important since some people with coronary artery disease do not experience typical symptoms like those mentioned above.
• Blood tests: These tests help a doctor to inspect for an increase in levels of specific enzymes or proteins usually 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?

Appropriate chest pain treatment depends on its root cause. If you are troubled with chest pain, your doctor will likely recommend one or more of the following treatments:

• Lung reinflation for a collapsed lung.
• Painkillers
• Anti-anxiety medications – for treating chest pain linked with panic attacks.
• Cardiac catheterisation – 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 feel better.
• Avoiding triggers: Certain foods and drinks can trigger heartburn for some people—and that’s another reason why you’ll want to steer clear of them when experiencing chest pain related to GERD or heartburn.
• 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!