Chest pain is the second most frequent reason for ER visits in the US, accounting for more than 8 million visits each year. 20–40% of people in the world report having chest pain. To help relieve your pain, Bryn J. Henderson, DO, JD, FACPE, CIME, and the staff at Regenerative Medical Group in Orange, California, are expertly trained to serve patients.
Any pain in your chest is considered chest pain. It might extend to your arms, neck, or jaw, among other places. It frequently has to do with the heart.
However, issues with your lungs, esophagus, muscles, ribs, or nerves, for instance, can also result in chest pain.
Some of these ailments are severe and potentially fatal—the only method to determine unexplained chest pain is to have a doctor examine you.
Depending on what is causing the condition, chest pain can generate a variety of symptoms. Although it's difficult to know without consulting a doctor, the cause is frequently unrelated to the heart.
Heart-related chest pain symptoms:
Cold sweats
Dizziness or weakness
Nausea or vomiting
Pressure, fullness, burning, or tightness in your chest
Pain that spreads to your back, neck, jaw, shoulders, and arms
Pain that gets worse with activity or varies in intensity
Shortness of breath
Other types of chest pain symptoms
A sensation of food re-entering your mouth
Pain that persists for many hours
Pain when you breathe deeply or cough
Trouble swallowing
enderness when applying pressure on your chest
Worsening pain when you change your body position
Heart attack
Myocarditis
Angina
Aortic aneurysm and dissection
Coronary artery dissection
Pericarditis
Mitral valve prolapse
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Pulmonary hypertension
Pleurisy
Pneumonia
Pulmonary embolism
COVID-19
Tuberculosis
Asthma
Collapsed lung
Pancreatitis
Esophageal spasms
Esophageal hypersensitivity
Esophageal rupture
Peptic ulcers
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
Panic attack
Hiatal hernia
Costochondritis
Muscle strain
Injured ribs
To identify or rule out heart-related issues as the source of your chest pain, your doctor may prescribe testing. These may consist of the following:
Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)
Blood tests
Chest
X-ray
Echocardiogram
MRI
Stress tests
Angiogram
By leading a healthy lifestyle, you can lower your heart, vascular, and other associated risks. The tests comprises:
A healthy diet
Exercising most days of the week
Limiting alcohol consumption
Managing your high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes
Maintaining a healthy weight
Not using tobacco products
Many illnesses can cause chest discomfort, even though most people associate it with a heart attack.
Recognize the warning signs of a heart attack and get help as soon as you feel discomfort. Tell your healthcare practitioner what you did when you experienced chest pain, and make a mental note of it.
Your provider may be able to diagnose you better if you can describe the type of pain you're experiencing and where it is.
