People often dismiss chest discomfort as indigestion or gas, especially after heavy meals. Although gastrointestinal problems can definitely cause discomfort in the chest, not all chest discomfort should be dismissed. Rarely, what seems like a gastrointestinal issue could be signaling a critical issue, since not every case of chest pain is considered gas. An episode of chest pain could be a person’s body signaling a heart attack, pulmonary embolism, or a cardiovascular and respiratory problem. It literally could be a life-saving skill to differentiate noncardiac chest pain from a medical emergency, and below are 6 signs that your chest discomfort could warrant an urgent response.
- The Pain is Sudden, Intense, or Crushing
Gas pain is uncomfortable, but generally not completely debilitating. If someone experiences chest discomfort that is sudden, feels like heavy pressure or squeezing, produces more discomfort than they have experienced in the past, and does not get better with passing gas or burping, this could be heart-related. Heart attacks also typically present as a crushing pain, and feel akin to an elephant sitting on a person’s chest.
- Pain Radiates Elsewhere
Indigestion pain typically stays in the chest or upper belly area, maybe spreading a little after heavy meals. However, if someone is feeling pain and it radiates into the arms, back, neck, jaw, or shoulders, then it is quite possible that this pain is because of a heart issue. This radiation of pain is one of the classic symptoms of a heart attack or other Heart Problems, so never ignore it.
- Associated with Shortness of Breath or Sweating
Gas pain will rarely, if ever, make a person break into a cold sweat or make them feel like their breath is being taken away. If their chest pain is associated with either feeling breathless, sweating excessively, dizzy, or nauseous, they should get help right away. Each of these symptoms can be an indicator of a cardiac emergency.
- Worsens with exercise
If the chest pain is being caused by trapped gas, it usually gets better when the person starts to move or changes position. However, if the pain feels worsening with physical activity, it might be an indication of diminished perfusion to their heart, which might mean that they are having angina pain or an impending heart attack.
- The pain lasts longer than a few minutes
Typically, gas pain comes and goes and should resolve within a short period when the digestive process progresses. When a person is experiencing chest pain that lasts for more than 10–15 minutes and won’t respond to repositioning or changing your environment, this minutes away signal should provide some initial cause for concern. The persistent nature of the discomfort may be an indication of something serious, such as Heart Problems, that requires immediate medical attention.
- Palpitations or Fainting
The discomfort associated with gas pain almost never causes a person to faint or feel an increase in the heart rate. If someone is experiencing a rapid or irregular heartbeat with chest pain, it may be the result of a problem with their cardiac rhythm or some other serious cardiovascular problem.
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