Chest Pain: First Aid

By Matt Unangst, 04 Feb 16:06

We all know that chest pain could be a sign of a heart attack, but that most chest pain is caused by something minor like indigestion. This article will help you figure out whether or not the chest pain you experience is a symptom of a much larger problem and if it requires emergency medical attention.

A heart attack happens when the supply of oxygen to your heart is cut off because one of yours arteries becomes blocked. Heart attacks sometimes produce no symptoms whatsoever, but you will usually experience chest pain that lasts for at least 15 minutes. Recurrent chest pain is often the earliest sign of an attack, especially if the pain is worsened by exertion and relieved by rest. Chest pain can begin weeks in advance of a heart attack.

Chest pain associated with a heart attack usually consists of at least one of the following:
• a feeling of fullness or pressure in the center of the chest that lasts for several minutes
• a spreading of pain to the shoulders, neck, and/or arms
• lightheadedness, fainting, sweating, nausea, or shortness of breath.

If you think that you or someone else may be having a heart attack, you should immediately call 911. Don’t wait to see if you can struggle through the heart attack and show your toughness because the sooner medical help arrives, the better your chance of survival. If you cannot get emergency medical assistance, have someone else drive you (or the person who has had the attack) to the closest hospital. Someone who has had a heart attack should not drive unless there are absolutely no other options, since the condition may become worse during the drive, putting the driver and others at risk.

Before going to the hospital, chew an aspirin. Aspirin thins your blood, helping to prevent any further clots from developing. Of course, if you have any allergies to or past problems with aspirin, you should not take aspirin. Another medication to take, if it has been previously prescribed to you, is nitroglycerin. Do not take nitroglycerin unless you have been prescribed nitroglycerin.

If someone else has a heart attack and falls into unconsciousness, perform CPR on them until emergency personnel arrive. A 911 dispatcher can instruct you in performing CPR if you have not been trained.

Chest pain may also signal a number of other serious conditions besides heart attacks. One of these is a pulmonary embolism. This is caused by accumulation of material in an artery in your lung, blocking the artery’s flow. The most common material that causes an embolism is a blood clot. If your artery is clogged, the tissue it supplies will begin to die.

Pulmonary embolisms normally cause chest pain that is distinguishable from that caused by heart attacks. The symptoms include:
• sharp, sudden chest pain
• a worsening of the pain if you breathe deeply or cough
• shortness of breath, sometimes sudden and inexplicable
• coughing up sputum with blood in it
• a rapid heartbeat
• anxiety
• excessive perspiration

Dial 911 immediately or get to a hospital as quickly as you can if you think that you or another person has suffered a heart attack.

Pneumonia can also cause intense chest pain. Pneumonia usually comes with other symptoms, including chills, fever, and a cough. You may cough up bloody or foul-smelling sputum. Sometimes pneumonia inflames the membranes around the lung, known as pleura, causing a condition called pleurisy.

Pain from pleurisy can usually be lessened by holding your breath or pushing hard on the chest where the pain occurs. Pain from a heart attack cannot be relieved by either of these methods.

Pleurisy is not an emergency. See a doctor soon after experiencing the chest pain if you also have a cough, fever, or chills.

Your chest pain may be completely harmless. Perhaps the most common harmless chest pain is chest wall pain. One type of chest wall pain is costochondritis. This is a condition where you will feel pain and tenderness in the cartilage connecting your ribcage to your sternum.

Costochondritis can often be tested relatively easily. If you can make your pain much worse by merely pressing with one finger along your sternum, you probably do not have a serious condition.

Chest pain can be caused by a great deal of other minor problems. You may have strained your chest muscles by coughing too much. Minor trauma can bruise the chest. Rapid breathing may cause soreness in the chest. Acid reflux, gallbladder pain, heartburn, or an ulcer may also cause pain.

Tags: heart attack, pulmonary embolism, chest wall pain, chest pain, pneumonia, pleurisy, first aid