Chest pain or discomfort is a very commonly experienced symptom and is the third most common reason for emergency visits in the United States and accounts for up to 6 to 7 million visits each year. Any discomfort in the chest can often cause a lot of anxiety as the immediate fear is that this could be a sign of heart disease. While this is one of the major concerns, there are several other underlying causes. Upon evaluation of chest pain, fewer than 25% of patients are finally diagnosed with Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS), which is the spectrum of conditions that lead to a heart attack. The remaining are usually due to gastrointestinal conditions.

If you’re looking for a chest pain specialist in Goodyear, Buckeye, or Sun City, AZ, our cardiovascular experts are available to provide timely and personalized diagnosis and treatment.

Types of Chest Pain

The character of the chest pain is determined by the underlying cause. Below are some of the common symptoms associated with the different causes:

Patients often search for chest pain doctors near me, AZ, when these symptoms arise suddenly or severely—prompt evaluation can be lifesaving.

Cardiac Chest Pain (Anginal Chest Pain)

  • Pain is often related to exertion
  • Squeezing or pressure-like pain
  • Localized to the central or left side of the chest with radiation to the neck and arms
  • Associated with sweating and breathlessness
  • Resolution with rest or intake of nitroglycerin
  • Heart attack (these occur at rest as well)

Other Pain Types

  • Sharp stabbing pain – lung diseases
  • Pain with movement – musculoskeletal causes
  • Burning pain – reflux disease
  • Colicky pain – gallstones

Causes of Chest Pain

Our chest pain specialists in Goodyear, Buckeye, and Sun City evaluate each case thoroughly to identify the exact cause.

Cardiovascular

  • Myocardial Ischemia: Reduced blood supply to the heart muscles, can lead to heart attack.
  • Pericarditis: Inflammation of the heart’s lining from infections or heart attack.
  • Aortic Dissection: A tear in the aorta’s wall, a life-threatening condition.
  • Pulmonary Embolism: Blood clot blocking the lungs’ vessels, often from deep vein thrombosis.

Respiratory

  • Pneumonia or Pleurisy: Infection and inflammation of lung tissues and membranes.
  • Pneumothorax: Air trapped in pleura due to trauma or lung rupture.

Gastrointestinal

  • Peptic Ulcer Disease: Ulcers from acid in the stomach/duodenum.
  • Reflux Disease: Acid reflux causing chest discomfort.
  • Esophageal Spasm: Irregular contractions of esophagus muscles.
  • Gallstone Disease: Can mimic cardiac pain, may coexist with heart issues.

Musculoskeletal

  • Tietze’s Disease or Costochondritis: Inflammation at the rib-sternum junction.
  • Muscle Sprains: Often due to strain or injury.
  • Vertebral Disc Disease: Nerve compression in spine causing chest-area pain.

Skin

  • Herpes Zoster: Reactivation of chickenpox virus, causing painful skin lesions.

How Chest Pain is Diagnosed?

Due to the danger of missing out on a life-threatening cause of chest pain, most patients presenting to the emergency department or to a doctor’s clinic are generally evaluated thoroughly.

If you’re searching online for chest pain doctors near me, AZ, it’s important to choose a facility that offers a comprehensive diagnostic workup.

  • Medical history
  • Physical examination
  • Chest X-ray
  • Electrocardiogram (ECG)
  • Echocardiogram
  • Stress Test
  • Angiography or cardiac cath
  • CT arteriography
  • Measurement of cardiac enzymes
  • Upper GI endoscopy

Management of Chest Pain

The cause of the chest pain needs to be determined first which is followed by a specific therapy. The initial treatment of some of the common causes of chest pain is given below:

We provide specialized chest pain treatment plans across our Goodyear, Buckeye, and Sun City clinics, tailored to each patient’s diagnosis.

  • Anginal Chest Pain: Nitroglycerin for relief, beta blockers/calcium channel blockers for long-term, aspirin to prevent clots, angiography with stent as needed.
  • Heart Attack: Emergency care with oxygen, clot prevention, and potentially angiography, stent or bypass surgery.
  • Acid Reflux & Peptic Ulcer: Acid suppressants like pantoprazole or ranitidine.
  • Pneumonia: Antibiotics prescribed based on physician diagnosis.