Chest Pain

A broken heart can make you feel an intangible pain like never before but we are here to tell you about a physical pain in your chest that needs to be handled seriously.

Chest pain is any pain or discomfort that is felt anywhere in your chest.There may be many causes for this type of pain,but the most concerning one is if the pain is originating from your heart.Sometimes this can be because of an angina.An angina occurs when the blood flow to a portion of the heart decreases due to a blockage in one of the arteries of the heart, i.e. the
coronary arteries.This often happens during exercise,high emotion,distress,cold weather or after eating a large meal.The pain usually lasts for a few minutes and eases on rest.If the pain lasts more than 30 minutes and does not go away with rest, this may indicate a heart attack and is due to the sudden blockage of a coronary artery

Other causes of chest pain

Chest pain can also originate from other structures in your chest or abdomen like:

• Major arteries in your chest: due to tears in the walls of the major arteries in the chest a.k.a. aortic dissection
• Covering of your heart:due to an inflammation of the covering of the heart a.k.a.pericarditis
• Lungs:pleurisy—an inflammation of the covering of the lung,bronchitis,pneumonia
• Food pipe or oesophagus:due to inflammation or acid reflux
• Muscles:due to muscle strains
• Bones:due to inflammation of ribs or breast bone a.k.a.costochondritis
• Abdomen:due to indigestion,acidity and reflux,gall bladder disease or stones
• Skin:due to shingles causing reddening of skin with blisters a.k.a.herpes zoster
• Anxiety:due to stress a.k.a.panic attack

All chest pain is considered to be heart-related until proven otherwise.

How chest pain is diagnosed

Your doctor may conduct the following tests:

• ECG – this may be repeated 2 to 3 times over a few hours
• Troponin test – this is a blood test that shows the level of damage of the heart muscle; it is conducted on arrival and again after 3 hours.
• Chest X-ray
• 2D Echocardiography of your heart
• Stress test
• CT coronary angiography scan
• Coronary angiography by a cardiologist

How to care for yourself at home

• Rest at home for the first few days after experiencing chest pain, till your cardiologist has suggested
• Avoid strenuous activity, including sex, according to your cardiologist’s advice
• Slowly increase your activity according to your comfort and tolerance
• Take your prescribed medicines regularly
• Consult your doctor if you experience acidity, indigestion, or black stools while on aspirin or other blood thinners
• Do the advised tests and consult your cardiologist along with all your reports

Rush to the hospital If you experience

• Severe chest pain lasting over 30 minutes
• Profuse sweating
• Transient fainting a.k.a. syncope
• Breathing difficulty, especially when you lie down
• Recurring chest pain