March 29, 2024

One Can Happen

The Healthy Lovers

Could Your Chest Pain Be a Sign of Heart Disease?

Angina pectoris is the medical term for chest pain. You must seek emergency chest pain evaluation as it could be a symptom of underlying heart disease. Sanul Corrielus, MD, and his team offer comprehensive diagnostic testing and treatment to relieve Philadelphia chest pain.

Causes of Chest Pain

The major causes of chest pain include:

·         Cardiac diseases due to blocked coronary arteries or cardiac complications, for example, pericarditis.

·         Gastrointestinal diseases such as ulcers and gallbladder acid reflux, etc.

·         Shoulders and chest wall musculoskeletal diseases

·         Neurological conditions such as cervical arthritis

The Relationship Between Chest Pain and Heart Disease

This relationship between an internal organ injury and perception of pain from the injury on another external body part is common for the liver, lungs, intestines, and heart.

Spinal cord pain impulse transmission from the heart to the brain is a complex medical process.  Spillover occurs when pain impulses from the spinal cord interchange with those of the chest. Therefore, you will perceive pain in the chest without necessarily being aware of internal cardiac injury. Only until the heart begins to swell and cause pressure on surrounding nerve fibers will there be successful pain transmission to the brain.

Symptoms of Chest Pain

Symptoms vary depending on the cause of chest pain. You may experience:

·         Fullness, burning, and pressure sensations in your chest

·         A searing pain that persists for more than a few minutes and worsens with physical activity

·         Cold sweats

·         Nausea or vomiting

·         Difficulty in breathing

·         Dizziness

Chest Pain Diagnosis

Not all chest pains are symptoms of heart disease. Your doctor must thoroughly review your symptoms and medical history and conduct comprehensive physical diagnostic tests to determine the pain’s root cause. Understanding the cause will assist in developing the ideal treatment plan for your chest pain.

Your doctor will suspect the musculoskeletal cause of pain if your chest wall is tender to the touch and if certain shoulder and arm movements can trigger the discomfort.

If you experience chest pain on an empty stomach, your doctor will suggest gallbladder acid reflux disease or ulcer be the root cause of pain.

The use of physical exertion diagnoses coronary artery disease causing chest pain. Your doctor may perform additional stress tests to diagnose blockages in the blood vessels, for example, an echocardiographic stress test with exercise or chemicals. It may be necessary to perform a cardiac angiogram to confirm abnormal results from the stress tests.

Treatment

Treatment of chest pain varies depending on the cause, age, lifestyle, and overall health, etc.

Your doctor may treat your chest pain by:

·         Recommend blood-thinning medications, artery relaxers, or anti-inflammatory medications

·         During a coronary angiogram, your doctor may treat some causes of your chest pain using procedures such as angioplasty to eliminate blockages in the blood vessels.

Prevention is always better than cure. Therefore, the best way to prevent chest pains, especially those associated with heart conditions, is to avoid a sedentary lifestyle. Regularly exercising, leading a low-stress life, and avoiding smoking will help you maintain healthy blood vessels. Contact Corrielus Cardiology by phone or book an appointment online today to receive comprehensive chest pain treatment.