Why You Should Never Ignore Chest Pain

Pain is your body’s way of communicating a problem — and it’s a tough signal to ignore. If you’re experiencing chest pain, this is one message that you should listen to, and act upon.

At Humble Cardiology Associates, Dr. Madaiah Revana and our team understand the many serious issues that can cause chest pain, which is why we take this symptom very seriously. And so should you.

In the following, we review some of the more common causes of chest pain, which demonstrate why chest pain is one symptom you shouldn’t ignore.

Angina

Angina is a type of chest pain that may feel more like pressure on your heart than actual pain. Angina affects approximately nine million people in the United States and it develops when there’s not enough blood flowing through your heart.

There are two types of angina:

• Stable angina, which occurs when you exert yourself and your heart pumps harder
• Unstable angina, which occurs for no reason

Dealing with stable angina is far easier — simply resting usually makes the discomfort subside. Unstable angina, on the other hand, may indicate that you’re more at risk for a heart attack, as it’s likely that the problem stems from coronary artery disease.

Heart attack

The onset of your chest pain indicates a great deal about the problem, so you should always be concerned when the onset is sudden, as in the case of a heart attack. A heart attack occurs when your heart isn’t getting enough oxygen because of a blockage in a coronary artery, and the subsequent pain is often sudden and severe.

Any time you feel sudden and severe chest pain, call 911 immediately and get help.

Infection

Viral or bacterial infections can lead to conditions like myocarditis or pericarditis, which cause inflammation in your heart muscle. The symptoms associated with these conditions can range from mild pressure in your chest to sharp pain.

These symptoms are often accompanied by:

• Shortness of breath
• Swelling in your legs
• Fatigue
• Fever

If you’re experiencing chest pain alongside these other symptoms, it’s important that you come see us as soon as possible, so we can clear up the infection.

Cardiomyopathy

When your heart’s muscle tissue is affected by disease — which we refer to as cardiomyopathy — it interferes with your heart’s ability to pump blood, which can lead to:

• Chest pain
• Heart palpitations
• Shortness of breath
• Swelling in your ankles
• Arrhythmia

Here again, any combination of these symptoms is reason to come see us right away so that we can address the problem.

Congestive heart failure

If you’ve had a heart issue that caused damage to your heart, such as the conditions we listed above, you may be left with long-term consequences in the form of congestive heart failure. This condition is often progressive, so if you’re experiencing ongoing chest pain, we can take steps to slow the progression of the disease.

Chest pain that’s unrelated to your heart

Chest pain is an incredibly broad symptom, and there’s a lot that’s housed in your chest, including your respiratory and digestive systems. What this means is that chest pain can also be caused by anything from indigestion to asthma.

Still, we prefer that you err on the side of caution, and any time you feel something different in your chest, whether it’s pain or mild pressure, we urge you to come see us. At the very least, we may be able to rule out a more serious problem for your peace of mind.

To schedule your appointment, simply contact one of our two offices in Houston and Humble, Texas.