When Is Chest Pain a Cause for Concern?

Chest pain can have many causes, but they don’t always indicate a serious problem. However, you need to know when chest pain is a sign of something major going on, and when it should be taken seriously.

Just because you’ve ruled out a heart attack as the cause for your recent chest pain doesn’t mean that a cardiac event isn’t on your horizon. Frequent, severe chest pains can be an early symptom of heart trouble, but they’re often ignored or written off as muscle spasms caused by anxiety. If you’re experiencing chest pain that persists and returns, you need to visit a cardiovascular specialist to diagnose the cause and decide what kind of action your pain warrants.

At West Houston Heart Center, located in Houston, Texas, cardiologist Dr. Humayun Naqvi provides a comprehensive range of heart health and interventional cardiac services, including preventive cardiology to help you keep your heart healthy and strong.

Common causes of chest pain

The heart comes to mind first when diagnosing chest pain, and for good reason. If you’re experiencing a heart attack, you might need to act quickly to save your own life. Even if the problem is not life-threatening now, chest pain might be your only warning before it becomes lethal.

Many cardiovascular conditions can cause chest pain, including:

Coronary artery disease, or blockage of the blood vessels
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or hardening of the heart
Pericarditis, or inflammation of the heart sac
Mitral valve prolapse, or a backward blood leak

If your pain is deep, intense, or accompanied by other symptoms like dizziness and shortness of breath, call an ambulance right away. However, if you don’t feel that your life is in immediate danger, but you’re still very concerned, you can monitor your symptoms while en route to the nearest urgent or emergency care facility to get checked out.

Lung pain can sometimes be mistaken for heart pain, especially if you have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Just as the heart can become inflamed and painful, the lungs and their lining can experience the same effects.

And just because you’re feeling pain in your chest doesn’t mean it originates there. You can also experience chest pain caused by:

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
Muscle and tendon strain
Swallowing disorders
Gallbladder problems
Panic attack
Back injury

Another unique cause of chest pain is costochondritis. This occurs when cartilage in the ribcage becomes inflamed, causing sharp pain and tenderness, especially around the breastbone.

Taking chest pain seriously

Any chest pain that you can’t quickly identify should be a cause for concern. If it doesn’t subside or continues to worsen, you should visit a doctor as soon as possible. If it’s intermittent, keep detailed notes of what you’re experiencing and bring them to your next cardiologist visit.

Heart disease is no laughing matter. A heart attack or embolism can cause death within minutes, and many people die without ever seeing a specialist.

This is what makes preventative cardiology so important. When diagnosed and managed early enough, heart disease is far less dangerous. At West Houston Heart Center, Dr. Naqvi performs the following as part of a comprehensive risk assessment:

Lab studies
Physical examination
Lifestyle evaluation
Medication review and family history
Imaging tests, including echocardiogram
Exercise stress testing
Vascular ultrasound

If you don’t have heart disease, you’ll need to establish a relationship with your cardiologist and create a lifestyle plan to keep it that way. Every visit and routine test provides more context for future visits, building your medical history and making a diagnosis easier if you do develop a problem.

Concerned about chest pain? The team at West Houston Heart Center can help you get the diagnosis and treatment you need. Schedule a consultation by calling 832-400-3957, or request an appointment online.