Chest pain
Chest pain is a serious symptom that cannot be ignored easily because important organs like the heart or lungs might be involved although there are non-serious causes for chest pain. we will see the important serious causes of chest pain, how to rule out those causes, and how to manage the problem.
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1) Heart attack (Myocardial Infarction)
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What it is?
First we see what the normal heart is like: think of heart like a pump whose duty is to pump the blood and circulate it all over the body. while doing so the Heart pumps a small proportion of blood to its own muscle (through small blood vessels called Coronary arteries) which helps itself to pump 24/7, without getting tired, as the blood gives oxygen to heart muscles for energy.
​ In heart attack what happens is, the blood flow to the heart muscles (which pumps the blood) becomes very low or stopped totally. This impairment of blood flow happens because of build up of bad cholesterol in the walls of coronary arteries over years to an extent where the passage of the blood in the blood vessel has been blocked completely, leading to low or complete stoppage of oxygen supply to heart muscles.
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what are the symptoms?
Sudden severe Chest pain, which is like crushing type something like a 10 kilograms weight over the chest. sometimes this pain may radiate to the left arm and shoulder. There will be breathing difficulty or vomiting as well.
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2) Dissection of Aorta
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what it is?
Aorta is largest blood vessel in the body, which comes out of the heart and runs upto lower part of abdomen. Our heart pumps blood into the Aorta and from the Aorta, blood is distributed to all the parts the body through the branches of Aorta. Due to certain reasons like high Blood pressure, Atherosclerosis etc.., the layers of the blood vessel get teared causing severe pain. if the tear is severe, blood might leak out causing sudden collapse. hence aortic dissection is an emergency condition and should be managed immediately.
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what are the symptoms?
Tearing type of chest pain spreading towards the back particularly in between the shoulder blades. There can be dizziness as well.
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