When is chest pain serious?

Escrito por: Dr Amarjit Sethi
Publicado:
Editado por: Laura Burgess

What has chest pain been described as feeling like?

Cardiac chest pain, or the pain of a heart attack, has been described as a sudden onset of pain in the centre of the chest that feels like a heaviness, pressure or weight on the area. It has also been described as a tight band or like a tight belt around the chest as in some adverts. It may radiate or spread to other areas like the arms or neck and jaw and may be associated with other symptoms or feelings. These may include the sudden onset of shortness of breath, sweating or being sick. These feelings could represent a heart attack and the advice would be to call 999 immediately for an ambulance.
 

What are the most common causes of chest pain unrelated to the heart? 

Other common causes of chest discomfort or pain are indigestion or heartburn, muscular problems after a strain which are relieved by resting the muscle, chest infections or other infections like shingles affecting the chest wall with an associated rash.

 

What are the most common heart problems that cause chest pain?

Angina causes chest pain due to narrowing of the arteries in the heart. This feels like chest pain in the centre of the chest on exertion and is relieved by rest or the use of a nitrate spray or GTN. It may be short-lived but can last longer and feel like the description of a heart attack above. A heart attack is due to a blockage of an artery in the heart and is life-threatening needing urgent medical treatment to unblock the artery. This is called angioplasty and is performed in specialist heart attack centres.

 

When should I see a specialist?

If you have chest pain on exertion that disappears quickly or you are worried about the recent onset of chest pain, even if it comes and goes, then you should seek help from your GP or be referred to a rapid access chest pain clinic to see a cardiologist.

 

When is chest pain a medical emergency?

Sudden onset of chest pain with the features described above is an emergency and you should dial 999 for an ambulance immediately.

Dr Amarjit Sethi

Por Dr Amarjit Sethi
Cardiología

El Dr. Amarjit Sethi es un experimentado cardiólogo consultor con sede en Londres, Brentwood y Hemel Hempstead, experto en el diagnóstico y tratamiento de la enfermedad de las arterias coronarias. Tiene un interés especial en la angiografía coronaria y la angioplastia coronaria y la inserción de marcapasos permanentes. Es un experto en TC cardiaca e imagen intravascular y ultrasonidos intravasculares. Él también trata a pacientes con ataques cardíacos agudos.

El Dr. Sethi completó sus estudios de medicina en el United Medical and Dental Schools de Guy's y St Thomas 'en 1992 recibiendo su BSc. (Hons) en inmunología y premios en medicina, farmacología e inmunología. Realizó su entrenamiento en el Royal Brompton, el London Chest Hospital y el St Bartholomew's Hospital.

Su tesis doctoral versó sobre los mecanismos y la modulación de la disfunción de las células vasculares en el Instituto de Investigación William Harvey, de la Universidad Queen Mary de Londres. Esta investigación fue publicada y presentada en la reunión de Arteriosclerosis, Trombosis y Biología Vascular de la American Heart Association y la Sociedad Europea de Cardiología. Las áreas de investigación actuales del Dr. Sethi incluyen síndromes coronarios agudos y la evaluación fisiológica de la enfermedad coronaria.


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