Sharp, dull, or agonizing pain in the chest should be treated as an emergency. As one of the most common warning signs of a heart attack, chest pain is not something to be dismissed lightly.
Patients and the general public benefit from knowing that there can be both typical and atypical presentations for heart disease, even though anyone experiencing chest pain should seek medical assistance immediately.
If chest pain Port Saint Lucie suddenly starts, you should see a doctor right away. The typical location of heart attack discomfort is the upper left side of the chest or the area just under the breastbone. Although its manifestation varies from person to person, the pain is typically described as mild in severity.
Why does it happen?
Sudden blockage of an artery supplying the heart muscle is the most common cause of a heart attack. However, this is not always caused by physical activity. Such chest pain calls for prompt medical attention and, ideally, action to prevent further damage to the heart muscle.
Exertion-related chest pain may be the result of a more gradual disruption of blood flow due to atherosclerotic plaque. Also, this calls for the quick intervention of a cardiologist, a doctor who has completed additional training in diagnosing and treating heart conditions.
The most prevalent descriptions of chest pain caused by a blocked coronary artery are:
- Pain or discomfort under the left breastbone or in the front of the chest
- Pain that spreads to the left side of the body (back, neck, jaw, shoulders, arm).
- Pain might have a “stuttering” course, where it would peak for a few minutes, subside, and then peak again.
- Symptoms of pain might range from a dull ache to sharp stabbing pain.
- Symptoms such as shortness of breath, fainting, or nausea
Even if you do not have any of the traditional risk factors for heart disease like smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or a family history of the condition, you could still be at risk.
A number of less serious conditions can also cause chest pain, but all of them warrant prompt medical care.
- Cardiovascular inflammation
- Pulmonary embolism
- Diseases of the lungs such as pneumonia, collapsed lung, and cancer
- When the problem is in the lungs, breathing deeply or coughing might make chest pain worse.
What to do next?
If you are having chest pain, you should visit a doctor immediately. The risks of major heart damage or even death, which can be avoided or mitigated by seeking immediate medical attention, increase if you try to diagnose yourself and delay a visit to the emergency room. When in doubt, dial 911.
