Chest pain is a very common complain. But having one does not mean that you are having a heart attack. There are a lot of causes for chest pain, some of them are not serious, but others can be very dangerous. So, really you must call for an ambulance to go to the emergency room to make sure it is not a heart attack.
You should not delay seeking help because if it is a heart attack, time is very important to survive it, which I talked about it in a recent video. Some of the less serious but common cause for chest pain are from the ribs. It can be either from a trauma to the ribs or inflammation in the ribs joints or could be a muscle pain from a strain after exercise or heavy lifting.
Another cause is from problems affecting the lungs such as pneumonia, which is an infection in the lungs, or from blood clot in the lungs. Rarely, trauma to the chest can cause painful collapsed lung with air leaking between the lungs and the chest wall.
Frequently, chest pain can be from the stomach like heartburn or acid reflux, or from a stomach ulcer or spasm in the food pipe or esophagus. Sometimes, shingles or zona from herpes zoster can cause chest pain, few days before the start of the painful rash.
Another heart condition which can cause sharp chest pain due to inflammation in the tissue around the heart is called pericarditis. Finally, anxiety or panic attack can also cause chest pain similar to a heart attack which. Sometimes it is difficult to differentiate between them.
My advice to you is that when you have chest pain you should call for an ambulance in these following situations. 1) if the pain is new or
severe and is not improving after few
minutes. 2) if you are sweating and having difficulty breathing. 3) if the pain is worse on walking or any physical activity.
So, if you think you might be having a heart attack you should not take any chances especially if the pain is not getting better or it is getting worse. then you should get evaluated in the emergency room as soon as possible.
Video shot by Galia Helbaoui and edited by Amer Helbaoui
24 май 2023
