Chest Pain

While heart attacks are many people’s first thought when they experience chest pain, many other conditions that can cause it aren’t emergencies. At Central Park West Primary Care and Cardiology Physicians on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, New York, Haleh Milani, MD, FACC, and the team encourage you to take a proactive approach to your health and find out why you have chest pain. Call the office to schedule an appointment or book your chest pain evaluation online today.

What is chest pain?

Chest pain is a symptom and sometimes a sign that something is going on with your heart. Of course, heart conditions aren’t the sole causes of chest pain. With diagnostic testing, Central Park West Primary Care and Cardiology Physicians can diagnose or rule out common causes of chest pain. 

When you visit the office for chest pain, you should describe the features of the pain in detail to your provider. Chest pain can be sharp, dull, or tight. 

Knowing the features of your pain gives your provider valuable insight that might help them with making a diagnosis, but diagnostic tests like chest X-rays and echocardiograms may also be necessary. 

Which conditions cause chest pain?

Many conditions can cause pain or tightness in your chest, including several that have nothing to do with your heart. In fact, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is the most common cause of chest pain, even though most people think of heart attacks first.

 Other possible causes of chest pain include:

• Pericarditis
• Coronary artery disease
• Cardiomyopathy
• Aortic aneurysm
• Broken ribs
• Strained chest muscles
• Pneumonia
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Pulmonary embolism (PE)
• Gastritis
• Pancreatitis
• Esophagitis
• Panic attacks

Central Park West Primary Care and Cardiology Physicians takes your medical history into account while making a diagnosis. They also perform a physical examination complete with additional diagnostic testing. 

When should I seek treatment for chest pain?

Some causes of chest pain aren’t urgent, while others require emergency care at your nearest hospital. 

If your chest pain lasts longer than five minutes without letting up even with rest, you should go to the emergency room or call 911 right away. 

Even if your chest pain does improve with rest, you shouldn’t ignore it. Central Park West Primary Care and Cardiology Physicians encourages you to get an evaluation as soon as possible so you can identify the cause of your chest pain and receive appropriate care, no matter where your chest pain comes from. 

If you’ve experienced chest pain recently, don’t hesitate to call Central Park West Primary Care and Cardiology Physicians or book your next evaluation online today.