Are You Suffering From Chest Pain?
If you’re suffering from any symptoms such as chest pains, palpitations, shortness of breath or dizziness you may be suffering from heart problems. It might be nothing, but you should never ignore any of these symptoms.
My name is Dr Chris Critoph, and I put my guide together so that you can read in your own environment and get the facts you need. To get your guide simply click here, and then fill out a quick form, then I’ll email a copy to you straight away…
Who am I?
My name is Dr Chris Critoph, and I am a Consultant Cardiologist based in Bournemouth, Dorset. I trained in cardiology at major teaching hospitals in London and Australia, before moving to Dorset in 2015. In addition to my full time NHS consultant post, I provide private consultations, investigations and treatment for a wide variety of cardiology problems.
My sub-specialty interests are heart failure, inherited heart disease and cardiac devices, and I am clinical lead for heart failure at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital.
Chest pain is very common, and can have lots of different causes. It can come on in different situations, for example during exercise, at rest, or when you’re feeling stressed. Many of the causes are not serious, but it is important that if you notice new or worsening chest pain, you get it checked out. Sometimes people have other symptoms at the same time, for example breathlessness, feeling their heart racing, sweating or dizziness.
Some of the causes that are due to the heart include coronary artery disease (also called angina), problems with the heart valves, or inflammation of the lining around the heart. Chest pain doesn’t always come from the heart though – it can also come from the gullet or stomach, for example acid reflux, from the lungs, or from the muscles and joints of the chest wall.
A heart attack is often unlikely, but if you have had one before it is especially important that you look after your heart for the future. Sometimes heart problems can run in families too, so it is often useful to know a bit about your family history.
There are a few different tests that are often used to work out what the cause of chest pain is. These are often simple, are quick to do, and do not hurt. They can include a physical examination, an ECG – a simple recording of the electrical activity of your heart – an echocardiogram – an ultrasound scan that looks at how well your heart is pumping and how well its valves are working – and a CT coronary angiogram, a detailed scan that looks directly at the arteries supplying the heart to check for any narrowing.
There are loads of good treatments available for chest pain, which will depend on what the cause is. Lifestyle changes – such as stopping smoking, improving your diet, and losing weight – are almost always recommended. Beyond that, treatment might be as simple as tablets, or, if a test shows a narrowing in one of the arteries supplying the heart, it may need more interventional treatment such as a stent. Sometimes patients are seen just the once and discharged, sometimes it’s recommended to have follow-up appointments, for example to see if a particular treatment is working.
Want to know more? Simply fill out the form below, and I’ll send you my free guide covering Chest Pain and many more symptoms…