Chest Pain Specialist

What are the causes of chest pain?

Chest pain can have different causes, including muscle pain from overexertion, pain from an injury or infection, and diseases or conditions related to the heart, lungs, and even the gastrointestinal tract. Some types of chest pain are relatively minor, while others can be indications of serious and even life-threatening problems. Severe or recurrent chest pain should always be evaluated to determine its cause and rule out serious issues like heart disease.

What is angina?

Angina is a term used to describe a specific type of chest pain that occurs when the heart is not receiving enough blood. It’s a common occurrence in people with coronary artery disease, which causes the arteries supplying the heart with blood to become blocked or narrowed. Angina can also occur in people with a relatively uncommon condition called Prinzmetal’s angina (sometimes called variant angina or coronary vasospasm), which occurs when the coronary arteries spasm or contract abnormally, resulting in a decreased flow of blood to the heart.

How is chest pain diagnosed and treated?

Because chest pain can occur for different reasons, it’s very important to provide a thorough family and personal medical history, so the doctor can look for risk factors that could indicate a serious heart-related issue. Depending on those risk factors, the specific symptoms, and other factors, X-rays, CT scans, ultrasounds and blood tests may be ordered. In some cases, a minimally-invasive procedure called a cardiac catheterization may be performed. In this procedure, a thin, flexible tube called a catheter is inserted into an artery in the groin, underarm, or neck and advanced to the area near the heart. A special dye highlights the area to help show problems like blockages that may be interfering with blood flow and causing pain. Once the underlying cause of the pain has been determined, treatment may include medications to thin the blood, open the arteries or perform other functions, or in some cases; minimally-invasive procedures may be needed to correct an issue that is causing pain and to prevent more serious problems from occurring.