Never joke with chest pain but take it seriously because it is a symptom of heart attack and can indicate digestive problems, lung conditions, anxiety, and stress. It occurs when your heart does not get enough supply of oxygen, and it is caused by various things such as digestive problems. Vinod Kumar, MD, FACC, and his team at Heart Vascular and Leg Center treat most Bakersfield chest pain in California by identifying the cause and alleviating the excruciating pain to help you get back to your daily routine.
Causes
As you might think, chest pain is a sign of heart attack; it might also be a symptom of the following conditions:
Heart-related causes such as:
Heart attack-blockage of blood flow to the heart
Angina -a blockage in blood vessels
Pericarditis-inflammation of the heart sac
Myocarditis-inflammation of heart muscles
Cardiomyopathy-diseases of heart muscles
Aortic dissection-tearing of the aorta
Lung-related causes of chest pain such as pneumonia, viral bronchitis, pneumothorax, bronchospasm, and pulmonary embolism.
Muscle and bone-related causes of chest pain include chronic pain syndrome, compression fractures, and bruised and broken ribs.
Symptoms
Chest pressure and shortness of breath
Chest tightness and feeling of fullness in the chest
Neck, shoulder, jaw, chest, and back pain
Dizziness, weakness, nausea, and vomiting
Cold sweats and pain that worsen with activities
Difficulties swallowing and an acidic taste in your mouth
Diagnosis
After physical examination of your symptoms, your cardiologist conducts the following tests to eliminate heart-related problems:
Electrocardiogram to record your heart electrical activity
Blood tests to measure enzyme levels
Chest x-rays to examine your lungs, heart, and blood vessels
An echocardiogram uses sound waves to record moving images of the heart
Stress test to measure your heart function after exertion
Angiogram to detect blockages in specific arteries
CT scans to detect blood clots and aortic dissection
Treatment
Treatment options for your chest pain depend on what could be causing the pain, and they include:
Medications
Artery relaxers. Blood pressure medicine and nitroglycerin relax heart arteries to allow blood to flow easily through narrowed spaces.
Thrombolytic drugs. Aspirin and clot-busting drugs help dissolve a clot that could block blood from reaching your heart muscles.
Blood thinners. Drugs that inhibit blood clots prevent the formation of more clots in arteries that feed your heart or lungs.
Acid suppressing medication. Reduces the amount of acid in your stomach that causes chest pain
Antidepressants. Help to control panic attacks
Surgical options
The procedures help to treat dangerous and chronic chest pain that might result in death, and they include:
Angioplasty and stent replacement. A stent and a balloon are attached to the catheter to open up blocked arteries.
Bypass surgery. Blood vessels are taken from another part of your body to create an alternative route for blood around the blocked artery.
Dissection repair. Surgical repair of an aortic dissection
Lung reinflation. Insertion of a tube into your chest to reinflate a collapsed lung.
Talk to your cardiologist today
Your physician can treat and resolve chest pain caused by many conditions such as acid reflux, panic attacks, and shingles. However, chest pain can also be a symptom of life-threatening conditions. Book an appointment with a specialized team of cardiologists at Heart Vascular and Leg Center and get rid of debilitating chest pain.
