Chest Pain Diagnosis
Chest Pain Diagnosis comes when you get pain in the chest varying from a dull ache to severe, crushing or squeezing pain that radiates to your neck, shoulder, or arm.
Either way, it can be frightening to think of the possible causes. Pain can occur in the muscles, bone, skin, heart, lungs or esophagus and still be classified as chest pain. It could even start in another part of the body and still manifest in the chest.
If you are feeling chest pain, it is very important to get to the doctor chest pain diagnosisas soon as possible. The doctor will ask you questions and do an exam to determine the severity and cause of your pain. The emergency room takes chest pain very seriously and you'll be seen in a very short time.
After a physical examination and hearing your medical history, the doctor may order an ECG and tests to check your cardiac enzymes. If the cause still isn't clear, you may need to undergo more testing. First, the doctor will want to rule out any life-threatening conditions if possible. Heart attack is fairly common and can be extremely dangerous. An aortic dissection is less common, but also very dangerous.
If your chest pain is recurring or chronic, they may do some tests to see if the cause is coronary artery disease. If you are diagnosed with angina, it is important to get you into treatment to deal with possible long-term problems that may come up. Coronary artery disease continues to worsen over time, so diagnosis is important as early as possible.
You may be sent to x-ray, given lung function tests or even have an endoscopy of your gastro-intestinal tract if the cause is still not clear. The doctor may ask you more questions. If the pain is worse when you eat or lie down, it could be an ulcer or acid reflux. If the pain starts when you move, it may be muscular or skeletal. If the pain gets worse when you take a deep breath, it could be lung problem like pneumonia or a blood clot in your lung (pulmonary embolism).
With all these different problems that can cause chest pain, you can see why it is important to see a doctor and get a diagnosis. Sure, you could end up feeling foolish when the doctor tells you it was gas bubbles or indigestion. On the other hand, you could discover that you have a growing problem in your arteries or your heart.
Early diagnosis of serious problems will put you on the right path to treatment and recovery. Chest pain is nothing to scoff at. Even if you feel that you'll be fine, how can you be sure until you see someone? Waiting too long to respond to chest pain often leads to a fatal heart attack, or at least one that leaves permanent damage. Getting that diagnosis as soon as possible saves lives.
Treatment can be prescribed once you have a chest pain diagnosis. Depending on the outcome, you may end up with several more doctor appointments and tests, you may end up staying at the hospital, or you may get to go home and enjoy a quick recovery.
Go to Causes of Chest Pain from Chest Pain Diagnosis |
