What should you know about chest

pain?
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Chest pain is one of the most common symptoms that bring an individual to
the emergency department. Seeking immediate care may be lifesaving, and
considerable public education has been undertaken to get patients to seek
medical care when chest pain strikes. You may be worried that you are
having a heart attack, but there are many other causes of pain in the chest
that the doctor will consider. Some diagnoses of chest pain are life
threatening, while others are less dangerous.

What causes chest pain?

Deciding the cause of chest pain is sometimes very difficult and may require
blood tests, X-rays, CT scans and other tests to sort out the diagnosis. Often
though, a careful history taken by the doctor may be all that is needed. There
are many causes of chest pain, and while many are not serious, it may be
difficult to distinguish a heart attack, pulmonary embolus, or aortic
dissection, from another diagnosis that is not life threatening, like heartburn.
For that reason, individuals are routinely advised to seek medical evaluation
for most types of chest pain.

What are the symptoms of chest pain?

While each cause of chest pain has classic symptoms and signs, there are
enough variations in symptoms that it may take specific testing to reach a
diagnosis. Tests to diagnose chest pain will depend on your current health
and results of any tests or procedures.
Treatment for chest pain depends on the cause. Always seek medical care if
you are having chest pain.