Understanding the Different Types of Chest Pain

Understanding the Different Types of Chest Pain

Understanding the different types of Chest Pain

Chest pain is one of the most common reasons that people visit the emergency room (ER). Chest pain varies depending on the person. It also varies in quality, intensity, duration, and location.

Heart attacks are not always as sudden and unexpected as many of us may believe them to be. In fact, one may feel the beginnings of a heart attack weeks before it actually occurs. Recognizing these early warning signs is crucial for getting the treatment you need.

Noticing the Signs

The warning signs of a heart attack are often mistaken for other ailments, such as a pulled muscle or heartburn. Moreover, heart attacks tend to be viewed as a male problem despite the fact that more women in the United States die from heart disease every year than men. The symptoms women experience also differ from the symptoms men may experience.

Understanding the different types of chest pain and their likely causes can be reassuring. In fact, very often just realizing that the pain doesn’t stem from problems with the heart can be enough to make the pain subside.

1. Angina

Cause of chest pain:

Angina occurs when there isn't enough oxygen-rich blood flowing to part of your heart. Narrowed coronary arteries cause angina.

Symptoms of chest pain:

  • Discomfort
  • Tightness
  • Pressure
  • Squeezing
  • Heaviness
  • Dull ache

Additional symptoms may include:

  • Nausea
  • Shortness of breath
  • Strange feeling or
  • Tingling/numbness in the
  • Neck, back, arm, jaw or
  • Shoulders
  • Light headedness
  • Irregular heart beat

Location of pain

  • May be felt in the centre of the chest or across the chest, into the throat or jaw, down the arms, between the shoulder blades
  • Unstable angina may be unrelated to activity or stress, comes on more frequently or takes longer to ease

Angina symptoms can gradually get worse over 2 to 5 minutes.

Angina usually lasts less than 15 minutes.

How to relieve chest pain

  • Rest
  • Anginine – dissolved under the tongue or
  • Nitrolingual spraysprayed under the tongue

2. Heart Attack

Cause of chest pain:

A heart attack happens when plaque cracks inside the narrowed coronary artery - causing a blood clot to form. If the blood clot totally blocks the artery, the heart muscle becomes damaged.

Symptoms of chest pain:

  • Similar to angina however last longer than 15 minutes and are not relieved by rest, Anginine or Nitrolingual spray

Additional symptoms may include:

Heart attacks can also occur with unusual chest pain or no pain.

Location of pain

  • Unable to pinpoint exact spot
  • May be felt in the centre of the chest or across the chest, into the throat or jaw, down the arms, between the shoulder blades

How to relieve chest pain

  • A heart attack is a medical emergency.
  • If pain is not relieved by Anginine or Nitrolingual spray in 10 to 15 minutes, call 000 for an ambulance.
  • Stop any physical activity.

3. ‘Stent’ Pain

Cause of chest pain:

Stent pain is quite common after a coronary stent is inserted and is thought to be caused by stretching of the artery during the procedure.

Symptoms of chest pain:

  • Sharp
  • Niggling
  • Localized
  • Fleeting
  • Comes and goes
  • Not related to physical
  • Activity

Location of pain:

  • Middle or left side of chest
  • Can usually pin point the spot where it hurts

How to relieve chest pain:

  • Relaxation

Symptoms will disappear with time as stent settles in.

4. Pericarditis

Cause of chest pain:

Pericarditis is irritation and swelling “inflammation” of the hearts sac that surrounds the heart. Causes include:

  • Viral infection
  • heart attack (Dressler’s Syndrome) – usually occurs 2-5 weeks after heart attack
  • Recent heart surgery

Symptoms of chest pain:

  • Sharp
  • Stabbing
  • Pain not relieved with rest

Additional symptoms may include:

  • Fever
  • Weakness
  • Shortness of breath
  • Coughing
  • Heart palpitations (feeling your heart beating faster)

Location of pain:

  • Middle or left side of chest
  • Can usually pin point the spot where it hurts

How to relieve chest pain:

Sitting up and leaning forward.

5. Musculoskeletal pain after open heart surgery

Cause of chest pain:

It is common to have some chest discomfort after your surgery as your muscles, ligaments, bones, nerves and wounds are healing

Symptoms of chest pain:

  • Aches (dull or sharp)
  • Pains
  • Numbness or tingling on chest
  • Skin feels sensitive

Location of pain:

  • Middle or left side of chest
  • May last for 6 months or more

How to relieve chest pain:

  • Try holding a pillow or towel against your chest when you cough or sneeze
  • Try a different position
  • Use pain killers regularly
  • Try massaging and touching chest around the wound to desensitize the nerves

6. Pulmonary embolism or “PE”

Cause of chest pain:

A pulmonary embolism occurs when there is a sudden blockage, usually caused by a blood clot, of an artery in the lung.

Symptoms of chest pain:

  • Sharp or stabbing chest pain - worse when you take a deep breath.
  • Burning, aching, dull or heavy sensation in chest
  • Sudden shortness of breath
  • Cough that can produce blood stained mucus

Additional symptoms may include:

  • Fast heart rate
  • Sweaty, clammy skin
  • Dizziness or light headedness

Location of pain:

  • Middle or on one side of chest

How to relieve chest pain:

A pulmonary embolism is a medical emergency.

  • Doctors will prescribe medications to dissolve the clot and prevent clots from getting larger.

7. Gastro Oesophageal Reflux Disease “GORD”

Cause of chest pain:

GORD occurs when stomach acid leaks from the stomach into the oesophagus (food pipe).

Symptoms of chest pain:

  • Burning chest pain, pressure, discomfort or “heartburn” - often worse after eating
  • Chest pain not likely to be associated with physical activity or exercise

Location of pain:

  • Middle or on one side of chest which can move up to neck and throat

How to relieve chest pain:

  • Sitting up or standing upright
  • Antacid medication
  • Avoiding certain foods and drinks

8. Anxiety

Cause of chest pain:

The body’s stress response causes:

  • Tightening of the chest and rib cage muscles
  • Stomach and intestinal distress causing chest pain

Symptoms of chest pain:

Pain can be described as:

  • Sharp, shooting or burning
  • Pressure or chest tension

Pain can range from slight to severe and can be related to episodes of nervousness, anxiety, fear or elevated stress.

Location of pain:

Can be located all over chest area and spread to upper back

How to relieve chest pain:

  • Stress management
  • Relaxation - deep breathing
  • Rest

If you recognize the early warning signs of a heart attack in someone else or yourself, you should call 911 immediately or visit nearby ER of Texas emergency room (ER) for treatment. The faster you are able to get to an emergency room, the sooner you can receive the treatment you need to reduce the potential damage done to the heart muscle.

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