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Affairs of the Heart

Take things to heart.  Heartfelt. Places in the heart.

But a pain in the heart or your chest—not so romantic.

What should you do when you experience chest pains?  Is it your heart or something else? When should you head to the hospital ER or the acute care center?

First of all, there are different kinds of chest pain:

  • Tightness
  • Dull
  • Stabbing
  • Burning
  • Aching
  • Sharp

And the causes are just as varied:

  • Heart problems
  • Lung issues
  • Gastrointestinal problems
  • Bone, muscle or nerve issues

As you can see, at the top of that list are heart issues.  From coronary artery disease to heart attack to myocarditis to pericarditis to cardiomyopathy to valve issue these problems are nothing to ignore.

So, when should you seek out help? If your doctor isn’t available and immediate self-care options don’t help, consider an immediate visit to an acute care center (or calling 9-1-1) when you experience:

  • A crushing pain under your breastbone.
  • A pain that spreads to your jaw, left arm or back.
  • A sudden chest pain with a shortness of breath.
  • Nausea, dizziness or a rapid heart rate or rapid breathing.
  • A change in your color to ashen.
  • Very low blood pressure or low heart rate.

Frontline ER is an acute care emergency room providing healthcare services to the communities we live and work within. Give us a call or contact us through our website should you have more questions about our services.

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