There’s nothing “normal” about pain. Joints, muscles, tendons, and other tissue structures experiencing discomfort reach out via nerve connections to sound an alarm and let your brain know that something isn’t quite right.
But what does chest pain indicate? Is it always related to your heart? How can you tell?
The group of cardiologists at Premier Cardiology Consultants offers outstanding cardiac care to people of all ages in New York City and its surrounding burroughs from four convenient locations.
They’re often tasked with the mission of identifying whether the symptoms you’re experiencing are related to a cardiac concern or some other problem. Here, these experts provide insight regarding chest pain, what it might mean, and when to seek a doctor’s care.
If you’ve ever tried to explain your pain to a physician, you know they have lots of questions about what your pain feels like, where you’re feeling it, when it strikes, and how much it hurts.
These questions all focus on defining your pain and helping start the process of identifying the underlying illness, injury, or condition causing the discomfort.
Chest pain linked to a cardiac issue is often described as:
Pain related to your heart may last more than a few minutes and worsen with activity or go away and then come back. The discomfort may vary in intensity from mild to severe, searing pain that stops you in your tracks.
Because chest pain related to cardiac function varies significantly from one individual to another, your specialist may also try to narrow the possibilities by asking about other symptoms you’re experiencing.
Concerning symptoms that may occur with or between episodes of cardiac-related chest pain include:
The most common symptom of a heart attack for both men and women is chest pain. However, women also tend to experience abdominal symptoms more frequently than men, including:
In addition, women often describe feelings of extreme fatigue and difficulty sleeping occurring hours or days before a cardiac event.
Chest pain is a common sign of cardiac disease but may also be related to:
Emotional stress, anxiety disorder, and panic attacks can also cause severe chest pain, which is often accompanied by cold sweats, nausea, and difficulty breathing.
Because cardiac conditions and issues related to your lungs can quickly become life-threatening, we recommend you reach out for emergency medical care whenever you experience new or unexplained chest pain or are concerned you might be having a heart attack.
For outstanding cardiac care, including an evaluation regarding your risks for heart disease, schedule a visit at Premier Cardiology Consultants today.
