What are the common causes of Chest Pain?

There are many different causes of chest pain, but the most common heart problems causing chest pain include:

• Pericarditis – usually causing a sudden, sharp stabbing pain that gets worse when you breath deeply or lie down. It can affect you at any age, and is less serious than angina.

Angina or a heart attack – This is much more serious. If you have a pressing pain in the chest, upper abdomen, neck or left arm that is worse on exercise and better at rest, please seek attention as this may get more serious, come on at rest and turn into a heart attack.

Risk factors for Angina

Angina is more likely in those who:

• Smoke
• Are obese
• Have high blood pressure
• Have diabetes
• Have high cholesterol
• Have a history of heart attacks or angina in family members under 60 years of age

What should I do if I have Chest Pain?

Most chest pain isn’t usually a sign of anything serious, but it is always worth seeking medical advice. If you think you are having a heart attack, please call 999 immediately.

At OneWelbeck Hearth Health, our leading group of consultant cardiologists can assess your risk, and either reassure you or get immediate treatment started.

You may need ECG, Transthoracic Echocardiography (TTE) and bloods in the 1st instance.

What we can do to help

For chest pain symptoms, and angina diagnosis, we can carry out the following investigations and tests:

• Blood tests
• ECG
• Echocardiogram
• Stress echocardiogram
• Exercise test
• Myocardial perfusion scanning
• CT coronary angiogram

Treatments can include:

• Medication
• Coronary angioplasty