Wednesday 1 March 2017

FIVE CAUSES OF ACUTE CHEST PAIN.When The Chest Really Hurts!!

1. HEART ATTACK.
This pathology is caused due to a permanent obstruction of an artery located within the heart.
It is characterised by a localised pain in the centre of the chest, which can extend to the jaw, arm and back. It is of an oppressive nature, it causes profuse sweating similar to when coming out of the shower and at times, nausea.

2. ANGINA PECTORIS.
It is a temporary obstruction of the coronary arteries that only lasts for a couple of minutes.
It is an oppressive pain located in the centre of the chest that can extend to the jaw, arm,
wrist and back. The difference between suffering from a heart attack and Angina Pectoris, is that when suffering from Angina Pectoris, the pain disappears after resting and it only manifests after doing exercise or if suffering from a type of emotional stress.
A heart attack could be taking place if the pain persists for more than fifteen minutes.

3. ACUTE PERICARDITIS.
This pathology presents itself through acute pain in the centre of the chest.
The difference between this pathology and the ones listed above is that it is accompanied by a fever and a cough, it worsens when laying flat on your back and it improves when sitting down or leaning forward.
It is usually due to a viral infection.

4. PLEURAL EFFUSION.
Pleural effusion is an accumulation of liquid in the pleura, which is a membrane that envelops the lungs. The pain is localised on the side where the pleural effusion took place.
This pain worsens when taking deep breaths and could also be accompanied by a cough. It can present itself in Pneumonias, Heart Failure, Pulmonary Embolisms, Lung Cancer, etc.

5. ESOPHAGEAL SPASM.
It is an acute pain in the centre of the chest due to a spasm of the oesophagus, which hinders eating and swallowing for a number of minutes. It is usually related to the presence of hiatal hernia or other oesophageal pathologies in the majority of times. The majority of people that suffer from this pathology usually also suffer from heartburn.

Taking quick medical action could save our life if we ever suffer from Acute Chest Pain.

    Source : Dr J. Hurtado Martínez
Medical Director of HealthSalus

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