ABC Medical Center > Chest pain

What is Chest pain?

21:54 - 4 May , 2021

Disease

Also known as thoracic pain, it is a medium to high discomfort that frequently radiates to the neck, abdomen, arms, back, or jaw, and that can be due to a wide variety of cardiac, digestive, muscular, nervous, respiratory, or osteoarticular diseases.

Chest pain is related to the affected organ that causes it, producing various sensations that can range from oppression, burning, or stinging, to paralyzing pain, which is often not related to the heart but requires immediate medical assessment. Chest pain is usually linked to the following:

  • Swallowing problems.
  • Pain that improves or worsens depending on body position.
  • Constant pain for several hours.
  • Discomfort that intensifies when you take a deep breath or cough.
  • Sensitivity when pressing the chest.
  • Bitter taste in the mouth.

Signs and symptoms Chest pain

Symptoms are related to the affected organ that causes the pain.

Heart:

  • Tiredness and weakness.
  • Dizziness.
  • Nausea.
  • Vomit.
  • Trouble breathing.
  • Cold sweat
  • Burning or tightness in the chest.
  • Pain that radiates to the arms, back, neck, jaw, and shoulders.
  • Discomfort that intensifies with physical activity, disappears, and comes back with different intensity.

Causes:

  • Heart attack.
  • Aortic dissection.
  • Pericarditis.
  • Angina.

Stomach:

  • Burning behind the breastbone that can reach the throat.
  • Abdominal pain radiating to the chest.
  • Swallowing problems.

Causes:

  • Gastroesophageal reflux.
  • Hiatal hernia
  • Gallbladder or pancreas dysfunction.

Lungs

  • Pain that is reflected in the sides and intensifies when breathing or coughing.

Causes:

  • Collapsed lung.
  • Lung clot.
  • Pleuritis.
  • Pulmonary hypertension.

Chest pain can also be related to fibromyalgia, rib injuries, panic attacks, and shingles. If you have any of these symptoms, go to your doctor immediately because your life may be at risk, since it is essential to identify what is causing your chest pain and treat it in time.

Diagnosis and treatment Chest pain

Once your doctor reviews your symptoms and medical history, they will perform a physical examination and order blood and other tests such as an EKG, chest X-ray, endoscopy, and CT scan, among others.

The treatment will be focused on addressing the cause of your chest pain, which can be based on the intake of various medications, up to surgery, depending on the severity of the condition.

At ABC Medical Center’s Internal Medicine Department, we offer health care services with the highest quality and safety, from the prevention, diagnosis, timely treatment, and monitoring of infectious, respiratory, endocrinological, dermatological, rheumatic, nephrological, gastrointestinal, and hematological pathologies of both chronic-degenerative diseases and acute conditions, through a comprehensive and multidisciplinary model.

Fuentes:

  • mayoclinic.org
  • medlineplus.gov
  • semes.es
  • cun.es
  • msdmanuals.com
  • medigraphic.com
  • López-Velarde BP, Solana LG, Zajarías KA, et al. Origen y evolución de la cardiología en el Centro Médico ABC. An Med Asoc Med Hosp ABC. 2019;64(1):68-73.
  • Vera RDA. Conocimientos sobre el diagnóstico del dolor torácico agudo: una necesidad en los internos de Medicina. Edu Me Centro. 2020;12(2):49-58.
  • Perdomo MR, Cruz CY, López SY, et al. Orientación diagnóstica del dolor torácico en el niño. Rev Cubana Pediatr. 2016;88(3):281-291.
  • Martínez GG, Ravelo DR, Valdés CE, et al. Dolor torácico y paraplejía como forma de presentación de disección aórtica: a propósito de un caso. CorSalud. 2016;8(2):127-131.

How can we help you?

    The dissemination of the content of this material is for informational purposes only and does not replace, under any circumstance or condition, a consultation with a specialist doctor, for which the ABC Medical Center is not responsible for the different use that may be given to it. If you require more information related to the subject, we suggest you contact the specialist doctor you trust directly.