The first time you feel pain in your chest, you panic. Am I having a heart attack, you wonder? Do I need to go to the emergency room?
Then your brain kicks in, and you dismiss the pain. Oh, it’s probably just that pepperoni pizza I ate last night, coming back to haunt me. Maybe you even grab some antacids to try tamp down the pain.
Indeed, sometimes chest pain isn’t serious at all. But until you know for sure what’s causing it, you should take it seriously.
Our expert cardiologist, Dr. Ola Akinboboye, diagnoses and treats chest pain (aka angina — doesn’t that sound more serious?) at Laurelton Heart Specialists. We recommend that you visit our office in Rosedale, Queens, New York City, any time you have worries about your heart, including unexplained chest pain.
How often is chest pain serious? Here’s why you should take it seriously, every time, no matter what the cause turns out to be.
Not all heart attacks announce themselves with symptoms. But when they do, chest pain is a classic one. And just because you see chest pain dramatized on movies or TV as being excruciating, that’s not the way angina always manifests.
You could have mild or moderate pain, and that could still be a sign that your heart is struggling. Mild or moderate pain is especially troublesome if it comes back again and again after resolving or lasts for 15 minutes or more.
Call 911 if you get the pain after exerting yourself, such as climbing a flight of stairs. Call us if you have even mild chest pain that lasts longer than 3-5 days, especially if it’s accompanied by shortness of breath.
Chest pain may be related to a dying or failing heart if you experience other symptoms at the same time.
Call 911 if your chest pain spreads to your:
The radiated pain in these areas may be milder than the pain that you feel in your chest. You should still seek medical care. If you’re a woman, you might actually feel most of your pain in these other areas rather than directly in your chest.
If you get hit in the chest and feel pain from that acute injury, then your chest pain is probably due to the blow. However, if the pain persists, you should see a doctor.
If you eat something that tends to give you heartburn and then you feel pain in your chest, it might be just another case of heartburn. If you suddenly start to sweat and have a racing heart, but you’re prone to panic attacks, you may just be having another one.
However, if the slightest bit of doubt exists, get medical care right away. Even if you have a history of heartburn and panic attacks, your chest pain could still be the sign of a heart attack.
During a heart attack, it’s common to experience other symptoms in addition to chest pain. If you experience any of the following along with chest pain, call 911 immediately:
If you’re with anyone else who says they’re having these symptoms, also call 911 or get them to the emergency room right away.
No matter what the cause of your chest pain, it’s not a normal or healthy occurrence. If you experience chest pain, you deserve to know what’s causing it so you can get the treatment you need to feel better.
Dr. Akinboboye conducts a thorough investigation to diagnose the cause of your chest pain. Once he understands why you’ve experienced acute or chronic chest pain, he then designs a treatment plan to help keep you safe and comfortable.
Don’t ignore chest pain: It’s a warning sign that you should heed. Either call 911 for immediate care or schedule a cardiac workup by reaching out to our team for a chest pain consultation at 718-208-4816. You can also use our online outreach form.
