Chest Pain – Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment

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Pain can occur in the chest on the right, left, or middle chest. Chest pain should not be ignored. As it could be a symptom of a heart attack.
Chest pain can last very briefly or last for days, depending on the cause. To get the right treatment, immediately consult a doctor, especially if the pain radiates to the arms, neck, jaw, and penetrates to the back, and is accompanied by shortness of breath and cold sweats.

Causes of Chest Pain

The causes of chest pain vary widely. However, this condition will be very dangerous if it is caused by heart and blood vessel disease, such as:

  • Heart attack, due to blockage of all blood flow to the heart.
  • Coronary heart disease, which is a blockage of blood vessels leading to the heart.
  • Cardiomyopathy, which is a disease caused by a weak heart muscle.
  • Myocarditis or inflammation of the heart muscle.
  • Pericarditis or inflammation of the membrane that lines the heart.
  • Endocarditis.
  • Aortic dissection, which is a tear in the inner lining of the largest artery.

In addition to heart disease or heart disease, chest pain can also be caused by other conditions, including:

Lung diseases, such as blockage of blood vessels in the lungs ( pulmonary embolism ), inflammation of the membranes that cover the lungs (pleurisy), high pressure on the blood vessels in the lungs (pulmonary hypertension), lung abscesses, and atelectasis or a collapsed (collapsed) lung.
Digestive system disorders, such as acid reflux disease (GERD), gallstones or inflammation of the gallbladder (cholecystitis), and inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis),
Disorders of the muscles and sternum, such as inflammation of the cartilage that connects the ribs to the breastbone ( costochondritis ) or broken ribs.
Other medical conditions, such as shingles (snake pox) or panic attacks.

Symptoms

The chest pain experienced by everyone, both young and old, can be different, depending on the underlying cause. A variety of chest pain complaints include:

  • Chest pain felt on the right, left, center, or all over the chest.
  • Pain that comes and goes that lasts a few minutes, or pain that lasts for hours to continuous.
  • Pain that feels like a stabbing, burning, or pressing feeling.
  • Chest pain that gets worse with activity.
  • Chest pain that improves or worsens when body position changes.
  • Pain that gets worse when you inhale or cough.
  • Pain radiates to other parts of the body.

People who experience chest pain can also experience other complaints according to the disease they are experiencing, such as a bitter taste in the mouth, difficulty swallowing, coughing, or rashes on the skin.

Immediately go to the emergency room at the nearest hospital if you feel chest pain like pressure, radiating to the jaw, arms, neck, or penetrating to the back, accompanied by

  • A cold sweat
  • Dizzy
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Heart beat
  • Hard to breathe

Read Also: Stroke: Preventing Causes & Risk Factors

Chest Pain Diagnosis

To find out the cause of chest pain, the doctor will ask about the symptoms experienced and other diseases that are also suffered. Then, the doctor will perform a physical examination, including listening to the heartbeat and lung sounds using a stethoscope.

To determine the cause of chest pain, the doctor will perform several further examinations, namely:

  • Electrocardiography (E K G)

ECG can show electrical activity of the aim of these checks is to determine whether chest pain is caused by heart attacks

  • Photo Chest X-ray

Examination Chest X-ray is done to see the shape and size of the heart, as well as any disturbances in the lungs, such as pneumonia or lung collapse.

  • Blood tests Blood

tests are done to measure the levels of certain chemicals in the blood that increase during an attack

  • Echocardiography

Echocardiography can help the cardiologist see details of the heart and determine the pumping function of the heart

  • Cardiac catheter

This test is done to check for blockages in blood vessels

  • Endoscopy

Endoscopy is done to see the condition of the digestive tract, using a special tube with a camera. This examination is done if the doctor suspects chest pain is caused by stomach acid reflux disease.

  • CT scan

A CT scan is performed to check for possible blood clots in the lungs (pulmonary embolism) and ensure that the patient’s arteries are not torn ( aortic dissection ).

  • Pulmonary function test This test

is done to find out if chest pain is related to a lung disorder.

Chest Pain Treatment

Treatment of chest pain depends on the underlying cause. Some types of drugs used to treat chest pain ar

  • Medicines to dilate the blood vessels of the heart, such as nitroglycerin .
  • Drugs that reduce stomach acid production, eg proton pump inhibitors.
  • Blood-thinning medications, such as aspirin or heparin.
  • Blood clot-busting drugs, eg streptokinase .
  • Antidepressant medications, such as fluoxetine.
  • Medicines for chest pain due to coughing , such as cough suppressants or antituberculosis drugs

In addition to drugs, doctors can also perform the following medical actions:

  • Insertion of a heart ring This

the method is performed by a cardiologist, which aims to increase the blood flow of the heart by dilating blocked blood vessels, using balloons and rings.

  • Heart bypass

surgery This operation is performed by connecting new blood vessels as a shortcut or alternative route of blocked blood vessels.
This type of surgery is certainly not cheap. Therefore, come on, protect yourself with health insurance which has the benefit of providing daily compensation while you are hospitalized. This benefit will be given during your stay in the hospital, a maximum of 30 days

  • Lung reinflation

This procedure is performed by inserting a tube into the chest cavity, to restore the collapsed (deflated) lung shape.

Repair of aortic dissection The

the doctor will repair the torn blood vessel with surgery.
Treatment procedures and medications for chest pain can cost a lot of money. Therefore, it never hurts to have health insurance from the start so that the cost of treatment becomes lighter.

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