Chest Pain Specialist

Is chest pain always due to a heart condition?

While chest pain is a typical symptom of many heart conditions, it can also be due to numerous other health problems.

For example, muscle strains, indigestion or acid reflux, and lung infections such as pneumonia or pleurisy can cause intense chest pain that's unrelated to your heart.

Since chest pain may be a sign of a heart problem, you should never ignore it. If you have a heart condition, the sooner you start treatment, the more likely you will avoid life-changing and potentially deadly consequences.

What cardiac conditions might cause chest pain?

The name for chest pain arising from a cardiac condition is angina. The root cause of angina is not having enough oxygen in your heart muscle, but there are numerous reasons why this might happen.

One of the more common causes of angina is coronary artery disease (CAD). CAD causes narrowing of the arteries in your heart, restricting the amount of blood flowing through them. As blood carries oxygen, reduced blood flow results in a lack of oxygen in your heart.

CAD is a result of atherosclerosis, a build-up of sticky plaque that can affect any of your arteries. Plaque is a mixture of excess cholesterol in your blood, calcium, and other particulates that clump together and line the inside of your arteries.

Many heart problems develop from issues like being overweight or obese or not getting enough exercise.

What treatment might chest pain require?

Treatment for chest pain could vary depending on what's causing it. Possible care options at Cary Cardiology, P.A., may include medications such as:

• ACE inhibitors
• Beta-blockers
• Calcium channel blockers
• Artery relaxant medication
• Blood-thinning drugs
• Cholesterol-lowering medications
• Digitalis preparations
• Diuretics
• Vasodilators

If you have a condition like CAD, you might also need to undergo a balloon angioplasty or atherectomy to widen the arteries. External counterpulsation (ECP) therapy is an option for arrhythmia patients when other procedures are unsuitable.

To determine why you have chest pain and benefit from the Cary Cardiology, P.A., team’s extensive experience, call their office or book an appointment online today.