The ER accommodates frequent cases of chest pain. In fact, between 2007/8, 5.5 million cases of chest pain were treated in the emergency room.
Going to the ER may take time and so much money. Based on the assumption that every case of heart attack is preceded by serious chest pain, quick medical help is appreciated. But, not all heart attacks come after a serious pain in the chest; it only happens half of the time.
The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC’s survey of 2005 showed that 92% of participants considered chest pain a heart attack symptom. However just 27% identified all the basic signs and recognised that quick medical intervention was needed in such cases. Chest pain is a precursor to heart attack, heartburn, panic attacks and angina.
It is important you know the major signs of a heart attack so you can seek medical help. Doing so can preserve precious life.
Heart attack
Plaque formed by deposits of cholesterol accumulates in the arteries taking blood to the heart causes coronary artery disease. The narrowing of the arteries arises when this continues, thus the heart’s supply of blood is breached. As blood doesn’t get to the heart muscles so does oxygen. This leads to what’s called atherosclerosis. Consequently, a part of the heart muscle is seriously affected. All of these cause a heart attack.
Critical heart attack symptoms
- Central chest pain that feels like the area is being squeezed, and it can be felt for a couple of minutes, or starts and recurs
- An uncomfortable sensation in the neck, jaw, back, shoulders or arm
- Lightheadedness or weakness
- Breathlessness
Symptoms of heart attack in women
- A pulse that’s usually weak or very fast or heart palpitations
- Fainting, feeling lightheaded or dizzy
- Indigestion
- Face colour changes to grey
- Pain in the jaw and shoulder blade
- Fatigue, etc
Heart attack qualifies as a medical emergency
Call for emergency help as soon as it’s obvious you’re having a heart attack.you should address the condition quickly. Avoid driving yourself or delaying till a friend comes to give you a ride. Get an ambulance to convey you to a cardiac care clinic.
Angina
Coronary artery disease will cause angina pectoris – a chest pain resulting from the lack of blood carrying oxygen to the heart muscles. This condition gives a feeling of the chest pressure. Other body areas: neck, jaw or back may also experience discomfort. What this signals is that the heart isn’t getting enough blood.
Sometimes, angina pectoris refers to as stable angina. The reason being that resting and medications can put the condition under control. It’s typical for this type to occur when one is under severe stress, emotional breakdown, or physical work. What differentiates angina from stable angina is that the former does not cause permanent heart muscle damage.
There is another type namely unstable angina. This one will make you experience sudden pain in the chest. Another name for it is acute coronary syndrome, it happens by almost the same oxygenated blood flow restriction to the heart muscles. Whether resting and feel pain in your chest, please get medical help at once.
Panic attack and symptoms
The condition here can happen with seriousness and like symptoms of a heart attack. Most persons will go through a panic attack at some point in their life. Medically, nothing has proved to be a cause of panic attack. But sometimes, at the centre of an episode are conditions like high stress, trauma, or unexpected changes. For panic attacks, there are typically no warning signs and most cases are worse at 10 minutes after starting. But symptoms of heart attack take time to show up and can stay for long.
Panic attack can easily understand by a number of concerns, including dizziness, chest pain, heart palpitations, breathlessness, nausea, chills, sweating, shaking, etc.
Heartburn and its signs
It’s not all the time that people go through heartburn. When they do, it can happen due to certain medications, foods, alcohol and pregnancy. The chest pain that comes with a heartburn never links to the cardiovascular system, rather it happens by reverse movement of stomach acid into the oesophagus which causes irritation. Over-the-counter medications can alleviate many cases of heartburn.
This condition will lead to intense burning sensation right under the ribs lasting from a couple of minutes to many hours. Other symptoms are:
- Pain in the chest typically felt after eating, during exercise, when anxious or lying on your back
- Burning sensation in the throat, or an acid-like taste at the back of the throat
It is common to have periodic heartburn, but the type that shows up multiple times per week – consistent heartburn could be a sign of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). This is a very serious disease of the digestive system. GERD doesn’t allow the muscles of your oesophagus to close well. This brings up contents from the stomach back into the oesophagus and trigger irritation. Untreated GERD can cause more severe health conditions.
Conclusion
A knowledge of the cause of your chest pain is important to help save life, however don’t wait until a heart attack before you know you have heart disease. For diagnosis of heart disease, visit here for private GP appointment in London.
At Privatedoctor.london, we diagnose the risk of cardiovascular and peripheral vascular disease, and offer useful preventative treatments. We also provide tailored screening at a competitive price to diagnose the chances of a heart attack, stroke, plus other heart conditions. Contact our friendly team today.
