Chest pain is pain or discomfort in the chest, usually in the front of the chest. It may be sharp or heavy pains. It can be caused by heart-related and non-heart-related problems.[2] Pain is caused by not enough blood flow to the heart.[4]
Quick Facts Other names, Medical specialty ...
| Chest pain |
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| Other names | Pectoralgia, stethalgia, thoracalgia, thoracodynia |
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| Potential location of pain from a heart attack |
| Medical specialty | Emergency medicine, internal medicine, cardiology |
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| Symptoms | Discomfort in the front of the chest[1] |
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| Types | Cardiac, noncardiac[2] |
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| Causes | Serious: Acute coronary syndrome (including heart attacks), pulmonary embolism, pneumothorax, pericarditis, aortic dissection, esophageal rupture[3]
Common: Gastroesophageal reflux disease, psychological problems such as anxiety disorders, depression, stress etc, muscle or skeletal pain, pneumonia, shingles[3] |
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| Diagnostic method | Medical history, physical exam, medical tests[3] |
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| Treatment | Based on the underlying cause[1] |
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| Medication | Aspirin, nitroglycerin[1][3] |
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| Prognosis | Depends on the underlying cause[3] |
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| Frequency | ~5% of ER visits[3] |
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