Technologies
Every third person had chest pain once in his /her life. A wide range of health
problems can cause chest pain. Most life-threatening chest pain is because of
the lungs and heart. Chest pain
represents about 5% of presenting problems an emergency problem. In children,
it is about 0.5%.
Chest
pain comes in wide varieties ranging from sharp, dull, crashing and burning. It
can radiate to neck, jaw, back, and arms which depends on related organ
pathology. Chest pain is a life-threatening condition, so it should be
considered a medical emergency.
The
causes of chest pain could be cardiac or non-cardiac.
Cardiac causes:
1.
Angina
2.
Heart attack or myocardial infarction
3.
Aortic dissection
4.
Pericarditis
5.
Cardiac tamponade
6.
Vascular disease
7.
Cardiomyopathy-
7.1 Hypertrophic
7.2 Dilated
7.3 Restricted
Non-cardiac causes:
1.
Gastrointestinal cause-
a. reflux esophagitis
b. cholecystitis
c. pancreatitis
2.
Pulmonary causes-
a. pleuritis
b. pneumothorax
c. pneumonia
d. pulmonary embolism
3.
Musculoskeletal causes-
a. arthritis
b. muscle spasm
c. bone tumour
4.
Pscyhistric causes –
a. anxiety
b. depression
What are the risk factors
of chest pain?
The
following can all be risk factors of chest pain: -
1.
Old age
2.
Smoking
3.
Hypertension
4.
Diabetes mellitus
5.
History of coronary heart disease
6.
Positive family history
7.
Excessive beverage intake
What are co-existing
symptoms?
It
could be present with chest pain like – nausea, vomiting, dizziness, shortness
of breath, anxiety, sweating.
What is the character of
chest pain?
Character
defines how the pain feels by the patients whether it is- stabbing, burning,
aching or sharp.
The main question is that
how to differentiate at your own that pain occurs in the chest is because of the
cardiac or non-cardiac cause?
Cardiac
pain is central and diffuse, tightness and squeezing in character. precipitated
by emotion and exertion. Radiate to jaw/neck/shoulder which gets relieved by
rest and drugs. Pain is associated with breathlessness.
Non-cardiac
pain is peripheral and localized. Sharp and stabbing in character. Can’t be
precipitated exertion or no history of radiation. It cannot be relieved by rest
and drugs. relatively association is depending on the cause.
Why do we need to visit a
doctor?
If
you have new or unexplained chest pain, then you must consult a doctor or call
for emergency medical help.
What can you do?
It
is always best to consult a doctor and describe with all necessary details like:
-
1.
Give proper history.
2.
Tell all symptoms in detail along with duration.
3.
Tell medical history if present – diabetes mellitus, hypertension, heart
disease or any other
health-related
issues.
4.
Tell about the medication taken by the patient.
5.
Tell if any family history present.
6.
Tell about addiction if any- drugs, smoking, alcohol, caffeine, or any other.
How can you prevent the
chest pain?
Here
are some do’s and don’t if you are experiencing chest pain: -
What
to do?
1. Quit smoking, alcohol or other
addictive material.
2. Control blood sugar level or blood
pressure.
3. Do regular exercise.
4. Keep yourself stress-free.
5. Have a balanced diet-
5.1 Green vegetables,
5.2 Omega-3 rich food (dry fruits,
salmon fish, tuna fish)
5.3 Add pulses to your diet
What
not to do?
1. Avoid Sedentary lifestyle
2. Avoid Oily food, junk food, meat,
lamb, beef, pastries, and pickles’
Hope you find
the article interesting...
Please comment on your views and share your experiences on chest pain.
Posted
By – Saurabh
Kumar Gautam
