Chest pain is a characteristic of heart disease, what are the symptoms?

When experiencing chest pain, one of the first things you think about may be heart disease. Chest pain is certainly something to worry about and you need to be aware of. Even so, did you know that not all chest pain is a sign of heart disease? Here are facts about chest pain that you need to know.

Not all chest pain comes from the heart

Have you ever had chest pain and you thought that you had heart disease, but when you went to the doctor it was just heartburn? Or maybe you have had heartburn that you thought was just an ordinary heartburn, but in fact you had a heart attack?

In fact, it is difficult to distinguish the causes of chest pain because not all chest pain originates from the heart. Chest pain can be caused by various organs, such as the lungs, muscles, ribs, nerves and digestive tract, each of which has characteristics that can help doctors distinguish between each cause. It is difficult for you to tell the difference, so it is better to consult a doctor.

Various heart diseases that cause chest pain

If you find that you have heart disease, there are many causes. The most frequent thing is of course a blockage in the heart blood vessels or better known as coronary heart disease (CHD).

Coronary heart disease is a blockage in the blood vessels of the heart that causes the supply of oxygen and blood to the heart muscle to decrease causing pain, known as angina. When the blockage causes death to the heart muscle, the pain will be worse and the damage will be permanent.

Apart from blockage, other diseases of the heart such as heart muscle infection (myocarditis), pericarditis (pericarditis) and heart valve damage can also cause chest pain.

The characteristics of chest pain due to coronary heart disease

Chest pain caused by coronary heart disease (CHD) has certain characteristics. Knowing this can help you immediately make the decision to immediately seek help from a doctor. Here are the characteristics:

• Chest pain usually occurs when the heart has to work harder, for example, when exercising or walking long distances
• If it recurs, the pain you feel tends to be the same
• Depending on the severity, pain can be felt from 5 minutes to more than 10 minutes
• The pain can usually be relieved by rest or medication
• The pain can radiate down the neck to the arm or back
• The pain may be accompanied by cold sweats
• Usually the pain is described as a squeezing of the chest or a feeling of being under a heavy weight

The characteristics above are characteristics if the disease is mild, if it is more severe then chest pain can occur at rest and does not decrease with medication.

What to do if you suspect you are having a heart attack

When you have a heart attack, you are in a race against time. The longer you get further treatment, the heart muscle will be getting less supply of blood and oxygen. The damaged heart muscle will expand so that if there is permanent damage it will cause heart function problems.

How long from the time you feel chest pain to the time you arrive at the emergency department also determines the options for action that can be taken. The sooner you arrive, the better the results. It is recommended that you arrive at the emergency department for treatment in less than 120 minutes with the ideal time " golden hour " less than 60 minutes.

x