What does severe chest pain imply if not a heart attack?
DH often has severe chest pain; we've stopped taking him into ER for it, although I still do take a BP and watch his resps.See, the last time we took him in, as a 51 year old, first we sat in the ER waiting room because they "forgot" about him; after an hour, I went up and reminded them they had a middle-aged, male veteran with severe chest pain sitting there- did they maybe want to get him on a monitor? And they did- oops, so very sorry.But he hadn't turned blue or started gasping or passed out or anything, so I wasn't worried about imminent death, but I was sick and tired of him having chest pains out of the blue. So, we ended up spending the night in the ER- comfy! with him being monitored and then in the morning an angiogram was done to be sure it matched the labs.Nothing. The cardiologist said he wished his own arteries were so clean. Nope- heart's good, see you later. Well, DH had been trapped between two track vehicles once while out in the field; broke his collarbone, cracked a few ribs, bruised him up pretty good, but being an ate-up, gung-ho, drive-on soldier, he didn't even allow the medics to tape his ribs. I've never indicated DH was a really smart guy about his health, have I? Good- cause if I had, I'd've been lying.What seems to be happening is, when DH gets a cold with cough or pulls a muscle in his thoracic area, or is just under a lot of physical stress, the little muscles- the intercostals- between his ribs, which are mostly cartilage which doesn't heal well, cramp up, they sieze up, and so his chest really flippin' hurts.It isn't his heart, and there's nothing to be done about it, and DH just has to learn how to relax his body. Which comes under the heading "Yeah, right". Of course, if he doesn't, I threaten him with the ER again....
What might cause chest pain after quitting smoking?
While it’s sound medical advice to always go to a doctor to get unusual chest pains checked out, it also seems fairly common for superficial chest pains that can be either sharp or mild to come from minor irritations around the chest wall caused by different breathing or stretching patterns or arthritis or inflammations in the muscles/ligaments/cartilage of the rib cage etc.If you’re a “hard core” smoker for whom quitting feels like a major ordeal, you’ll likely both be much tenser than usual and also be compensating for not smoking by breathing differently than usual. Both of those could cause the sort of irritation that could cause intermittent chest pain.I’m not a doctor, but I have sometimes tended toward hypochondria, particularly in my 20s and 30s before I learned that certain sorts of bodily aches and pains are just “normal” in life and are not signs of a heart attack or cancer of the brain. In my case a lot of them eventually seemed to boil down to some sort of costochondritis (See: Costochondritis Overview ) mixed with general arthritis… with it all aggravated by extra stresses due to scoliosis. Eventually I learned that every twitch of pain was not a sign from the heavens that I was about to meet St. Peter, and, lo and behold, the pains became a much more minor thing when they’d occur: merely a noticing of a momentary discomfort not even worth thinking about. Before arriving at that realization, my mind would focus on any twinge of pain in the chest area and magnify it out of all proportion.Sooooo…. as noted, not a doctor here, and if you’re experiencing the sort of symptoms that actually go with a heart attack or somesuch you certainly should not ignore them, but, my *guess* would be you likely have little to worry about if you’re female and under 40 and feeling a high level of stress from quitting smoking.MJM, again, not a doctor (“I tell thee thrice…”) but hope I’ve helped!
My boyfriend is having really bad chest pains...?
See your health care provider as soon as possible (cardiologist), for consultation. Many people with chest pain fear a heart attack. However, there are many possible causes of chest pain. Some causes are not dangerous to your health, while other causes are serious and even life-threatening. Any organ or tissue in your chest can be the source of pain, including your heart, lungs, esophagus, muscles, ribs, tendons, or nerves. Pain may also spread to the chest from the neck, abdomen, and back. A rather common cause of chest and back pain is a nerve that is located in the upper or middle spine. These so called thoracic spinal nerves can be pressed together because of muscle spasm and other reactions of the muscles due to wrong moves, or too much pressure on the back. These nerves are important to keep an eye on as they can even lead to heart or lung problems if unchecked. See a doctor for a proper diagnosis and treatment. I hope this helps you. And good luck.
What are the causes of heart attack?
It is not surprising that the most common causes of heart attack comprises of lifestyle issues, eating habits, blood pressure and cholesterol levels, weight and stress issues, and diabetes.Below mentioned are some of the major causes of heart attack:Coronary Artery Disease: The underlying cause of most heart attacks. This is a result of a build-up (collectively called as plaques) of cholesterol and other substances in the artery. One of these plaques can rupture and spill out cholesterol and other substances (plaque) into the bloodstream causing blood clots that block the coronary artery. Studies show that one fifth of the deaths in India are caused due to coronary heart diseaseA spasm in the coronary artery: This shuts down the blood flow to the heart muscle causing a heart attack. Drugs like cocaine can cause such a life-threatening spasm.A tear in heart artery: A heart attack can also occur due to a tear in the heart artery (spontaneous coronary artery dissection). Coronary Embolism—a condition, in which small blood clots or tumors travel from other parts of the body to the artery—is an uncommon cause of heart attacks.Decreased Blood Flow to the Heart: When blood flow to the heart is severely decreased, in the case of extremely low blood pressure (shock), it can lead to a heart attack.Family history: Your chances of having a heart attack are higher if you have a family history of heart disease or a history of cigarette smoking, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and obesity.If you still didn’t got the answer check out Dr. Agarwal who is talking about causes of heart attack in the following video,Heart attack warning signs can vary from person to person, and they may not always be sudden or severe. Always bear in mind, act immediately. Some people wait too long because they don’t recognise the important signs and symptoms of a heart attack. Therefore, it is crucial to remember that a person’s survival depends largely on how quickly they reach the hospital. Take Care.
Can anxiety chest pains cause heart problems?
According to the (American Heart Association), many mental health issues can affect your heart health. When your body is under stress, it produces higher levels of glucose, adrenaline, and cortisol. Repetitive or prolonged distress overworks your adrenal glands, heart, and arteries. Unhealthy coping mechanisms, like smoking cigarettes or eating fatty foods, can contribute to the negative cycle. If left unchecked, an unhealthy mental state becomes another risk factor for heart attack.Additionally, up to a third of all heart attack survivors experience depression. Anxiety and chest pain can trigger more panic, resulting in a potentially destructive cycle.
Can throwing up cause chest pain and shoulder pain?
Hi, well iv been having chest pain right above my sternum and right shoulder after taking deep breaths. I got drunk this weekend and threw up a lot, can that pain be caused by muscle spasms? Im a healthy 21 year old male and ruling out the possible cause of heart attack, the pains been there for almost 2 days and it seems to be graudually going away. If anyone knows anything i would appreciate it, thank you.
Can anxiety cause chest pains? If so can it cause heart problems?
Yes, anxiety can bring about all sorts of symptoms, chest pain among them. This isn't uncommon and figuring out what is causing the chest pain in a particular patient is an important task. Can anxiety cause heart problems? Well, just because a person is having anxiety provoked chest pain does not mean anything bad is going on with the heart, so in that sense, no. However, stress and anxiety in general can sometimes lead to heart problems. Anxiety can be associated with palpitations, like "skipped beats", which are usually not serious, but occasionally be worisome, or trigger more serious rhythm disturbances, usually if a person is already prone to them. Anxiety and stress have been considered as risk factors for heart disease. More extremely, here is even a condition called takotsubo cardiomyopathy, more popularly known as broken heart syndrome, were someone experiencing severe stress, such as a great loss will have acute heart dysfunction. This condition is easy to mistake for a heart attack, but the prognosis is much better.
What's the difference between a heart spasm and a heart attack?
Prinzmetal's angina (aka coronary artery spasm) often mimics the blockage from coronary artery disease. This happens when a normally healthy coronary artery suddenly contracts and constricts its own blood flow (sort of like your leg getting a cramp or charlie horse). When this occurs, less oxygenated blood is allowed through that artery, the heart muscle tissue beyond the point of the spasm becomes deprived. A patient experiencing this would feel the angina (aka chest pain) as if he were having a real heart attack. Two things to consider here: Often, people who have Prinzmetal'a Angina arrive in the ER after the episode is over, and unless the spasms occur while the cardiogram is being done, it usually goes undetected. However, if the spasms are severe enough and occur right during the recording of the cardiogram, the EKG will look identical to that of someone who is having a heart attack. Further, even though there was no clot to balloon open (which was what they had intended by bringing him to the cath lab for the angio) if the spasms are severe and last long enough, or if there was some underlying plaque formation to begin with, the patient may very well suffer a real heart attack as the cardiac muscle remains deprived of oxygen. Good luck. Ralph