Chest Pain Specialist

What causes chest pain?

Chest pain can take on a variety of sensations and indicate a number of conditions — both heart related and not. You may experience a dull ache or a sharp stabbing sensation, or your pain may radiate to other areas of your body, like your neck and jaw, or even your back and arms.

There are many causes for chest pain, all of which require medical attention to be safe. Causes related to the circulatory system include:

• Pulmonary embolism
• Pulmonary hypertension
• Heart attack
• Angina
• Pericarditis
• Aortic dissection

Other possible causes of chest pain include:

• Swallowing disorders
• Acid reflux
• Gallbladder or pancreas problems
• Sore muscles
• Costochondritis
• Rib injuries
• Pleurisy
• Collapsed lung
• Shingles
• Panic attack/anxiety

Chest pain involving the heart and/or lungs can indicate a life-threatening condition, so it’s important to pay attention to your symptoms and contact Dr. Chane if anything seems abnormal.

Heart-related chest pain isn’t always accompanied by symptoms you would traditionally think of when you think of heart disease. Sometimes there’s only a vague discomfort that isn’t necessarily associated with pain.

The following symptoms may indicate you’re experiencing a heart-related issue:

• Shortness of breath
• Nausea/vomiting
• Dizziness
• Weakness
• Burning or tightness in your chest
• Pressure/fullness in your chest
• Cold sweats

If you’re experiencing a crushing/searing pain that radiates to your arms, back, neck, jaw, or even your shoulders, you may be experiencing a serious heart issue. Pain that varies in intensity, and gets worse with activity, should also not be ignored. If you’re worried you may be having a heart attack, seek emergency help as soon as possible.

How is chest pain treated?

Depending on your symptoms, there are a number of tests Dr. Chane can order to get a better idea of what’s causing your pain:

• Chest X-ray
• Blood tests
• Electrocardiogram (ECG)
• CT scan
• Stress tests
• Echocardiogram
• Coronary catheterization (angiogram)

Your results indicate whether you require follow-up treatment, such as medications or surgery. An angioplasty is a common procedure for chest pain that’s caused by a blocked artery.

What is an angioplasty?

An angioplasty is a procedure used to widen a blocked artery. During angioplasty surgery, Dr. Chane inserts a balloon into your artery and inflates it, so blood can pass through. The treatment is typically used in combination with a stent, a small mesh tube that’s placed inside your artery to prop it open and reduce the chances of it narrowing again.

Depending on your condition, Dr. Chane uses either a drug-eluting stent, which is covered in medication that is released into the bloodstream, or a bare-metal stent that contains no medication.

The procedure can be extremely beneficial for quickly opening a blocked artery, which can reduce the amount of damage to your heart during a heart attack. It can also lessen chest pain symptoms and shortness of breath.

If you’re experiencing chest pain, schedule an appointment with Dr. Chane immediately, either online or by phone.