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Heart attack or acidity? Expert on top reasons behind sudden chest pain
Chest pain is a classic symptom of heart attack but a variety of other reasons could also be behind it. An expert on the possible causes of sudden chest pain.
Chest pain is one of the classic symptoms of heart attack but there could be many reasons other than cardiovascular complication that can cause discomfort and pain in the chest mimicking symptoms of a heart attack. It could be a panic attack or a sudden rise in your anxiety levels that could cause chest pain and make you feel you are having a heart attack. It could be as harmless as an acid reflux episode which could give you a serious dread. So, how to know if your chest pain has cardiac origin or not. (Also read: World Cancer Day: First signs of lung cancer, prevention tips by expert)
Experts say it's not always easy to know and one must get medical help upon experiencing chest pain. Yet, there are some tell-tale signs of a chest pain that is connected to a heart attack. According to CDC, a heart attack typically involves discomfort in the centre or left side of the chest and this could last for more than a few minutes and could keep coming back. This discomfort could feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain, feeling weak, light-headed, or faint. One may also break out into a cold sweat.
How to identify if the chest pain is due to heart attack
Dr. Sanjeev Kalkekar Consultant Cardiology Apollo Hospitals Navi Mumbai tells HT Digital that there could be many reasons behind your chest pain apart from cardiac issues.
Acid reflux
Sharp pain felt in the chest could be because of gastrointestinal issue such as heartburn or acid reflux which is the most common reason for non-cardiac chest pain.
Stress and anxiety
Stress and anxiety can cause chest pain. One may feel breathlessness along with cold sweats which are similar symptoms to that of a heart attack.
Oesophageal muscle spasms
The abnormal contractions and squeezing of oesophagus along with sudden chest pain can be mistaken for cardiac origin pain.
Dr Kalkekar says in case of a heart attack, apart from chest pain, one can experience discomfort, fatigue, fainting, shortness of breath, profuse sweating.
How to differentiate between chest pain due to heart attack and other health issues
"Though looks simple but believe me this is really difficult to understand weather chest pain is related to heart attack or it is not related to heart. It is always better to consult doctor, do ECG ECHO and cardiac enzyme. Still some clues are, if the chest pain is sharp or stabbing, it is due to other conditions such as acid reflux, muscle pain or stress. Heart attack doesn’t feel sharp or stabbing. If the pain spreads to your neck, back, shoulders, arms and jaw with or without shortness of breath it could be because of heart attack. Also, if the pain lasts for more than few minutes and gets worsen with cold sweat, it can be a heart attack," says the cardiologist.
What to do in case of a heart attack?
If you or your loved one experiences chest pain and the symptoms are matching that of a heart attack, Dr Kalkekar says the following should be done immediately.
- Reaching out to nearby hospitals is most important factor. Let the person settle down and try to calm them.
- Loosen their tight cloths if any.
- Call for emergency medical help.
- Help the person take sublingual nitroglycerin medicine.
- Give the person mouth dissolving aspirin (dispirin) only if the person is not allergic to the medicine.
- If the person is unconscious or not responding, start CPR.
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