How do I know if my chest pain is serious? If you have chest pain that lasts longer than five minutes and doesn't go away when you rest or take medication, get immediate help. Call 911, your local emergency services number or have someone take you to the closest emergency room (ER) right away.
Chest pain is frightening and must be taken seriously. So know this: If you are having severe discomfort in the chest—especially if the chest pain is radiating to your neck, jaw or arms—and it's accompanied by shortness of breath, dizziness and sweating, call 911 immediately.
Many, many things can cause chest pain. You want to call 911 if you are having sudden, crushing chest pain or if your chest pain radiates into the jaw or the left arm. You want to call 911 if your chest pain also causes shortness of breath, or dizziness, nausea, or vomiting.
Usually, chest pain is less likely due to a heart problem if it happens with: A sour taste or a sensation of food reentering the mouth. Trouble swallowing. Pain that gets better or worse when you change body position.
Heart trouble
It usually feels like pressure, and can often radiate to the arm, neck or jaw. It's not the only sign though, and women especially are prone to experiencing other symptoms, like fatigue, nausea and shortness of breath. Chest pain can also signal other heart trouble.
If your chest pain lasts more than a few minutes or becomes more severe, don't wait. Call 911 immediately. Chest pain accompanied by the symptoms above may indicate a heart attack or other serious conditions, and it's best not to delay treatment.
Cardiac • Cardiac pain does not change during deep breathing. Muscular • Deep breathing can cause sharp, shooting pain (if the discomfort starts in the muscle).
Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center or left side of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes or that goes away and comes back. The discomfort can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain. Feeling weak, light-headed, or faint.
Chest pain in particular is never normal, no matter how mild. It can take many forms, and it could indicate any number of health conditions from acid reflux to coronary artery disease. If you have chest pain, consider scheduling a cardiology appointment to have your heart health checked out.
But if you have pain or pressure in the center of your chest that spreads up into your throat or jaw, it could be a sign of a heart attack. Call 911 and seek medical attention to make sure everything is all right.
If you experience chest pain that lasts longer than five minutes or is accompanied by other symptoms such as nausea, shortness of breath, weakness or lightheadedness, call 911 and seek help immediately.
Noncardiac chest pain is defined as recurring pain in your chest — typically, behind your breast bone and near your heart — that is not related to your heart. In most people, noncardiac chest pain is actually related to a problem with their esophagus, most often gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
Many types of chest pain come and go. Even the pain of a heart attack may temporarily get better, then return. To better understand the cause of chest pain, look carefully for other symptoms, and keep in mind any risk factors for medical conditions.
Shortness of breath can occur with or without chest pain, and it's a common sign of a silent heart attack. You may also feel dizzy or lightheaded — and it's possible you could faint. Though this can happen to both men and women, it's more common for women to experience shortness of breath.
Chest pain
If it's a heart attack, it's usually described as a heaviness, tightness or pressure in the chest; people will often describe it as 'an elephant sat on my chest' or 'it felt like a tight band around my chest,' that sort of constricting feeling.
An easy-to-remember construct for possible precipitating factors is the 3 p's, which are chest pain that is pleuritic, positional, or reproducible with chest wall palpation.
In many cases, it's related to the heart. But chest pain may also be caused by problems in your lungs, esophagus, muscles, ribs, or nerves, for example. Some of these conditions are serious and life threatening. Others are not.
Typical (classic) angina chest pain consists of (1) Substernal chest pain or discomfort that is (2) Provoked by exertion or emotional stress and (3) relieved by rest or nitroglycerine (or both).
If you're sitting down and feeling calm, your heart shouldn't beat more than about 100 times per minute. A heartbeat that's faster than this, also called tachycardia, is a reason to come to the emergency department and get checked out. We often see patients whose hearts are beating 160 beats per minute or more.
If you have pain, swelling and tenderness around your ribs, and the pain is made worse by lying down, breathing deeply, coughing or sneezing, you may have a condition called costochondritis. This is caused by inflammation in the joints between the cartilage that joins the ribs to the breastbone (sternum).
Nurses and doctors are likely ordering an EKG or electrocardiogram for you, which will help us determine if you have an acute heart problem. You will also have blood work done, and if needed, you will be administered pain medicine. Sometimes, patients are also put on oxygen.
When to call your doctor. If you're not sure if your symptoms are serious or decide not to call 911, call your health care provider right away. They can help you decide if your pain is an emergency or not. If you have chest pain that doesn't go away, you need to see your doctor for evaluation.