Chest pain is a common medical complaint for millions of people, accounting for roughly 6.5 million emergency room visits each year in the United States. While heart attacks and other heart problems can definitely be to blame, more than half of these ER visits have other underlying causes.
That said, chest pain is never normal, and because it’s often related to serious medical issues, it should never be ignored.
At TLC Medical Group Inc., Anthony B. Lewis, MD, FACC, and his team use advanced technology to understand the cause of chest pain, so you can get the care and treatment you need to stay healthy and prevent serious complications. If you’ve been experiencing chest pain, here’s what Dr. Lewis wants you to know.
For most people, chest pain immediately triggers fears of a heart attack, and for good reason: Heart attacks are very common, with one happening every 40 seconds on average, according to the CDC.
Heart attack chest pain happens when your heart struggles to get the oxygen-rich blood it needs to function the way it’s supposed to. When that blood supply decreases, your heart sends out distress signals in the form of pain, pressure, and tightness.
While heart attacks may be the most well-known cause of chest pain, other cardiac problems can cause discomfort, as well, including valve disease, arrhythmias, and infections.
Your chest isn’t just home to your heart — it houses your lungs, too. If you have a lung infection or another issue affecting your lungs, you can wind up with chest pain that feels very similar to a heart attack.
Chest pain and pressure are also common with some types of digestive system issues, like ulcers, heartburn, and hiatal hernias. Even a pulled muscle or bruised rib can cause symptoms that mimic cardiac problems.
First, if you think you may be having a heart attack, call 9-1-1 immediately. Prompt treatment is essential for achieving the best possible outcome. In addition to chest pain, heart attacks can be associated with:
It’s also important to note that symptoms can vary — sometimes significantly — from one person to another. Some people experience severe chest pressure, while others may notice more subtle warning signs. If you have chest pain that lasts more than a few minutes, keeps returning, or feels like squeezing, pressure, fullness, or heaviness, call 9-1-1 immediately.
Maybe you’re having occasional pain, but your symptoms point to something other than a heart attack. Is it OK to ignore it? Absolutely not. Scheduling an evaluation with Dr. Lewis is essential for determining the cause so you can get the treatment you need as quickly as possible.
You should absolutely call us right away if your chest pain:
You should also schedule an evaluation right away if you have risk factors like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes, or if you smoke or have a family history of heart disease. You can find a more comprehensive list of risk factors at the American Heart Association® website.
A chest pain evaluation starts with a discussion about your symptoms, including when your discomfort started, what it feels like, how often it happens, and whether anything makes it feel better or worse. Dr. Lewis also reviews your personal and family risk factors for heart disease.
Most evaluations include diagnostic exams, like an electrocardiogram (EKG) or an echocardiogram, a noninvasive imaging test that provides information about your heart’s structure and function.
Depending on your needs, Dr. Lewis might order a stress test to evaluate how your heart responds to physical activity, or he may ask you to wear a Holter monitor, a small, wearable device that monitors your heart's electrical activity over a period of time — typically 24-48 hours, but sometimes longer.
It’s easy to dismiss chest discomfort as a bout of heartburn, stress, or muscle strain — especially when it goes away on its own. But because chest pain can sometimes be an early warning sign of heart disease, it’s important not to ignore it.
If you’re experiencing recurring or unexplained chest pain, we can help. To schedule your evaluation, request an appointment online or over the phone with Dr. Lewis and the team at TLC Medical Group in Port St. Lucie, Florida, today.
