Chest pain related to HEART:

Symptoms: Heart related pain might be mild to severe. Those who are heart patients; they can differentiate between their usual heart pain and any other non-heart pain.

The symptoms of heart-related pain are as follows;

1. Type of Feeling:
1. You may feel actual pain, heaviness, pressure like, tightness OR squeezing.
2. Sharp stab to a dull ache.
3. Crushing or searing pain or burning.
4. Additional symptoms: could be Shortness of breath, Dizziness or Cold sweats, Nausea & vomiting
2. Severity: This may range from mild or chest discomfort to severe pain.
3. Location: It is usually in the center / front of chest but could be in the back, right or left side. It may travels up (radiates) to the neck, into the jaw, and then radiates to one or both arms (mostly left arm).
4. Duration: The pain may last from few minutes to be constant (heart attack). Usually gets worse with activity (angina), goes away and comes back.

Causes:

The following are the commonest causes of Heart-related pain:

1. Heart attack
1. A heart attack (also known as acute myocardial infarction or Myocardial Infarction) is a serious life-threatening Heart emergency, in which the supply of blood to the heart is suddenly blocked, and if not treated urgently can cause death.
2. You need to immediately call your local Emergency services (Your Emergency Contacts)
2. Angina
1. Angina also known as angina pectoris is a type of chest pain caused by decrease in the blood flow to the heart muscles. It is a sySmptom of coronary artery disease.
3. Aortic dissection
1. This is a serious life-threatening Heart emergency caused by a Tear in the wall of the main Artery of your heart called AORTA, which takes blood to different parts of your body form your heart.
2. The pain is usually sudden severe chest or upper back pain, often described as a tearing, ripping or shearing sensation that goes from front of chest to back OR down the back.
4. Pericarditis
1. This is the inflammation of the covering surrounding your heart.
2. The pain may be similar to heart attack but usually less in intensity. The most important aspect is that it is often sharp pain in nature which intensifies when you cough, lie down or when you breathe in deeply.

Chest pain related to LUNGS

Symptoms Lungs related pain might be mild to moderate. It may be sometimes difficult to differentiate between heart and Lung related pains.

The symptoms of Lungs-related pain are as follows:

1. Type of feeling:
1. You may feel actual pain, heaviness, pressure like
2. Sharp or stab to a dull ache.
3. Additional symptoms: Mostly associated with Breathlessness.
2. Severity: This may range from mild or chest discomfort to severe pain. May get worse with breathing.
3. Location: It is usually in the center / front of chest but could be in the back, right or left side. It usually Does NOT travels up (radiates) to the neck/jaw or arms unlike heart related pain.
4. Duration: The pain may be constant which may get worse with breathing.

Causes

1. Pulmonary Embolism
1. In this condition blood clots either forms inside lungs or comes to lungs from other parts of the body.
2. This is a serious life-threatening Heart emergency as the clot may completely block supply of blood to the lungs and if not treated urgently can cause death.
3. This usually starts with moderate to severe breathlessness (may get worse with breath) and chest pains. You may get excessive sweating, fast heart beats (palpitations) dizziness.
2. Pleurisy
1. This is caused by the inflammation of the linings of your lungs.
2. It cause chest pain that worsens when you breathe in or cough.
3. Collapsed Lung
1. This is caused by various conditions like Injury, Asthma. The air-leaks into the space between the lung and the ribs.
2. Patient usually experience sudden chest pain associated with shortness of breath.
3. It may be a serious life-threatening Emergency if not treated quickly.

Chest pain related to MUSCLE & BONES

Symptoms: This type pain is usually dull/discomfort and can be localized by you.

Causes

1. Costo-chondritis: In this condition, the cartilage (part of your rib- bone) of your rib cage gets inflamed. The part of the rib is usually painful on touching.
2. Sore muscles: Chronic pain syndromes, such as fibromyalgia, can produce persistent muscle-related chest pain. Usually painful on touching.
3. Injured ribs: A bruised or broken rib can cause chest pain, which may be on deep breathing or on touching the ribs.

Chest Pain related to Other Causes

1. Heartburn
1. There is usually a burning feeling behind your breastbone or lower part of ribs.
2. It may get worse before eating food and improves after food.
2. Swallowing disorders: Disorders of the esophagus can make swallowing difficult and even painful.
3. Panic attack
1. In some people, you may feel discomfort during a panic attack. You may feel rapid heartbeat, rapid breathing, profuse sweating, and shortness of breath, nausea, dizziness and a fear of dying.
2. Your doctor must check all other causes before label you as panic attack.
4. Shingles It is the viral infection of the nerves. It appears as a band of blisters from your back around to your chest wall. Usually very painful.

1. Although there are several possible causes of chest pain, it is VERY important to rule out any serious Life-Threatening Heart and Lung Emergencies.
2. If you have chest pain you should consult your local physician or nearby hospital. You need to immediately call, your local Emergency services (Emergency Contacts)
3. The doctor well check for :
1. Symptoms: as discussed before for each condition
2. Tests: These will be requested what the doctor is suspecting.

The doctor may order the first few tests to find the possible diagnosis. This may include:

1. ECG or EKG: This records the electrical signals of your heart. It's a common test used to detect heart problems and monitor the electrical status of heart. This is a non-invasive, painless test with quick results
2. Blood Tests: This is performed to check your blood count, Kidney functions, electrolytes levels and to check some proteins or enzymes, which may be elevated of there a heart muscle damage.
3. Chest X-ray: An X-ray of your chest allows doctors to check the condition of your lungs. It help to diagnose any lung infections, collapse of lung (leaking of air from lungs), heart failure and the size and shape of your heart and major blood vessels.
4. Computerized Tomography (CT Scan): In a computerized tomography (CT) scan, bloods clots can be checked in your lungs ((pulmonary embolism), any tears in the vessels (arteries) around heart (aorta) and any other lungs related problem.
5. Echocardiogram: An echocardiogram uses ultrasound waves (signals) to take pictures of your heart. It is used to check your beating heart and its various parts including valves (doors), walls, pumping of blood in and outside heart, Pressures in various parts of heart.

This depends on the underlying diagnosis and the status of patient on admission to hospital.
The treatment is divided into two steps:

1. Step 1: This is the generalized treatment usually received by most patients:
1. Will be attached heart monitor/ Blood pressure monitor and ECG/EKG.
2. You may be started on oxygen (Mask).
3. Pain relievers with morphine or other medications.
4. If patient deteriorates during this time, he may needed to be intubated ( breathing machine).
2. Step 2: As soon as the patient been given above treatment, the doctor continue with the specific treatment, which depends on the diagnosis of the conditions. The main conditions with chest pains and its emergency treatment includes:
1. Acute (sudden) Heart attack
2. Acute (sudden) Attack of Angina
3. Acute (Sudden) Heart Failure
4. Acute (Sudden) Arrhythmias (Heart rhythm issue)
5. Pulmonary embolism.
6. Aortic dissection You may need emergency operation to repair the Tear in aorta
7. Lung collapse (Pneumothorax): The doctor may have to insert a tube in your chest to reinflate your collapsed (air leak) lung.
3. Non-Heart conditions and Treatment: This includes
1. Blood thinners: If patient is diagnosed with Clots in the lungs or having heart attack.
2. Acid-suppressing medications: If chest pain is caused by excessive stomach acid or Stomach Ulcer disease.
3. Antidepressants: If you are having panic attacks.