Chest Pain in Delaware: When to Get Help

Chest pain can be scary.

In Delaware, heart disease is the leading cause of death, responsible for thousands of lives lost each year.

But during your time of ouch, it’s important not to jump to conclusions. Not every twinge or ache in your chest means a heart attack. Chest pain comes in all shapes and sizes, from mild and fleeting to intense and persistent, and the reasons for it can be just as varied.

This post will help you understand the different causes of chest pain, identify symptoms, and know when to turn for help in the Milton area.

Common Causes of Chest Pain in Adults

Chest pain can feel different from person to person. It might be a sharp, stabbing feeling, a dull ache, a burning sensation, or an intense pressure. While many people immediately think of a heart attack, chest pain can originate from various parts of the body.

Here are some of the most common reasons you might experience chest pain.

Heart-Related

Heart-related chest pain often signals that the heart isn’t getting enough oxygen-rich blood, commonly due to conditions like heart attack, angina, or pericarditis. The pain is often described as severe crushing, squeezing, or heavy pressure in the chest that can last for several minutes. It can also cause a sharp, stabbing pain that may worsen when you breathe deeply or lie down.

Digestive Causes

Digestive issues can often feel like heart pain, leading to confusion and anxiety. While usually less serious, they can still be quite uncomfortable. For example, GERD, or acid reflux, causes a burning sensation in the chest, often after eating or lying down. Problems with the gallbladder or pancreas, like gallstones or inflammation, can also trigger intense abdominal pain that may spread to the chest.

Muscle and Bone Causes

Chest pain can sometimes come from the chest wall, including the muscles, ribs, and bones. Costochondritis, an inflammation of the cartilage connecting the ribs to the breastbone, can cause sharp, tender pain that mimics a heart attack. Strained chest muscles from exercise or heavy lifting can also lead to soreness and lingering discomfort.

Lung-Related Causes

Since your lungs are in your chest, lung problems can often cause chest pain. A pulmonary embolism, a serious condition where a blood clot blocks an artery in the lungs, leads to sharp pain and sudden shortness of breath. Infections like pneumonia or bronchitis can cause stabbing pain along with coughing, fever, and trouble breathing. Pleurisy, inflammation of the lining around the lungs, results in sharp pain when you breathe, cough, or sneeze.

Other Causes

• Panic Attack: A panic attack can produce symptoms nearly identical to a heart attack, including rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, and intense chest pain. While not a cardiac event, the experience is frightening and feels very real.
• Shingles: Caused by the same virus as chickenpox, shingles can cause a sharp, band-like pain before a rash appears. The pain can be intense and localized to one side of the chest.

When You Should Seek Care 

You should never try to diagnose the cause of chest pain on your own. Given that heart disease is a significant health concern for Delawareans, it is always best to err on the side of caution. Certain symptoms are red flags for a life-threatening condition like a heart attack or pulmonary embolism.

Call 911 immediately or go to the nearest emergency department if you experience chest pain along with any of the following symptoms:

• Pressure, Fullness, Squeezing, or Heavy Pain: A feeling of intense pressure in the center of your chest that lasts for more than a few minutes or goes away and comes back.
• Pain Spreading to Other Areas: Discomfort that radiates from your chest to your shoulders, arms (especially the left arm), back, neck, or jaw.
• Shortness of Breath: Difficulty catching your breath, either with or without chest discomfort.
• Sweating: Breaking out in a cold sweat for no apparent reason.
• Dizziness or Lightheadedness: Feeling faint or like you might pass out.

Get Immediate Care at Bayhealth

Acting fast is the most important thing you can do. Getting medical treatment within the first hour of a heart attack can significantly improve your outcome and reduce damage to the heart muscle.

At Bayhealth Total Care’s Emergency and Urgent Care Center, our primary goal is to provide the residents of Sussex County with exceptional service and the proper billing for the care they need. Our combined emergency room and urgent care in Milton are fully equipped to handle everything from allergies to chest pain 24/7 with on-site labs, X-ray, ultrasound and CT.

Every patient at our ER and urgent care walk-in clinic is seen by an ER-trained physician at every visit, regardless of the level of care they need. Our approach makes care more affordable by avoiding the higher cost of the emergency room if patients only require urgent care services. Our ER and urgent care clinic is open 24/7.

Bayhealth Total Care’s Emergency and Urgent Care Center is located at 18383 Hudson Road, Milton, DE 19968.