Your Trusted Chest PainTreatment and Prevention Experts In South Dakota
What is Chest Pain
There are many different types of chest pain with many potential causes. The most dangerous, and potentially life-threatening causes, typically involve the heart, lungs, and aorta. If you have chest pain, especially if it feels crushing, pressure-like, burning or stabbing, it is important to seek immediate medical care.
Symptoms of Chest Pain
There are many different types of chest pain, and the type of pain can range from something completely benign to something potentially life-threatening
Heart Pain
Most commonly described as pressure-like, heaviness, tightness, crushing or stabbing pain in the chest. The discomfort may radiate to the neck, jaw, arms, shoulders or back. It may be associated with profound sweating, nausea, indigestion, belching, or vomiting. You may also have shortness of breath, dizziness, or racing heartbeat. The pain is often worsened by exercise or physical activity, and partially or completely relieved with rest.
Other Chest Pain
Sometimes chest pain is caused by problems with the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, lungs, infection, or musculoskeletal system. Pain on swallowing or difficulty swallowing. Sour taste in the mouth. Tenderness of the chest when you apply pressure. Pain that stays constant for many hours to days. Pain that worsens or improves with changes in body position.
Unexplained Chest Pain
If you are having new or unexplained chest pain, or think you are having a heart attack, call 911 immediately.
Causes of Chest Pain
The list of potential causes for chest pain is long. Potential causes can be divided into categories. Heart-related causes may include the following:
Coronary artery disease (CAD): Chest pain related to CAD, also called angina, is due to plaque formation inside coronary arteries resulting in decreased blood flow to the heart (see section regarding CAD). When the heart doesn’t receive enough blood, you may develop chest pain. This may also cause heart attack.
Coronary microvascular disease (CMD): In some patients, chest pain can be due to blockages or spasm of the small blood vessels in the heart, called the microvasculature. This is a diagnosis of exclusion. Please see the section for CMD here.
A potentially life-threatening disease caused by a tear in the aorta, the largest artery in the body. The may cause severe chest pain, often radiating to the back or between the shoulder blades.
Or inflammation around the heart, can be caused by a viral infection or recent heart attack. The pain classically worsens when lying flat or taking deep breaths and improves when sitting up.
When blood clots form inside the lungs they block blood flow to lung tissue. This may cause chest pain, shortness of breath, or severe dizziness and even loss of consciousness or passing out. If you think you may have a blood clot (PE) please call 911 immediately.
Diagnosis of Chest Pain
Diagnosing the cause of chest pain is made by a qualified physician who asks questions about your medical history and performs a physician examination. Ruling out potential life-threatening causes usually starts with an electrocardiogram (EKG), blood tests, chest X-ray, and possibly a CT scan or echocardiogram. Additional, more sophisticated and invasive testing may be required.
Treatment of Chest Pain
The treatment of chest pain depends on the cause, but can range from medications like vasodilators, blood thinners, and antacids. Other procedures such as balloon angioplasty and coronary stenting or open-heart surgery are sometimes required.
Experienced Care for Chest Pain Symptoms in the Black Hills
If you are having symptoms concerning for coronary microvascular disease (CMD), please call to schedule an appointment with Black Hills Heart and Vascular.
