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Chest Pain, Nasal Congestion, No Cough, Headache, Taken Aleve. Is It Serious?
Question: My question is about chest pain. I have a bit of a cold. I have a bit of nasal congestion and no cough. Sunday around $ in the morning I woke with horrible chest pains. If I moved or blew my nose I felt like my heart would beat out of my chest. The pain was 9 out 10. It kept hurting like that not stop till around 11 in the afternoon when I took some aleves which got rid of it and the headache I had by then. I took more aleves in the evening. It is starting to hurt a bit again now, but no where near as bad. It a bit of a dull ache with an occasional sharp pain. I still have no cough and I dont believe I have any chest congestion. So I am just wondering if it could be serious?
Hello,
Thanks for posting your query.
A severe chest pain with a score of 9 out of 10 is usually due to cardiac problems.
Heart attack is unlikely to develop at a young age like yours.
Still it would be better to get the following investigations done to rule out cardiac related problems.
1. Troponin -T and CPK-MB
2. ECG in all leads with a rhythm strip in lead 2
3. Echocardiography
4. Tread mill test
5. Thallium scan (Myocardial perfusion scintigraphy)
The other possibilities that need to be ruled out with the help of your physician are muscular pain, GERD, Pleuritis, etc.
The pain also could be due to musculoskeletal inflammation - This can be diagnosed if the pain increases on specific movements or on direct pressure on the affected area. Such pain can respond to medications like Ibuprofen 400 mg taken three times a day. This generally resolves within a week.
Pneumonitis Or Pleuritis : Here the pain increases on XXXXXXX breaths and is associated with symptoms like cough, expectoration of mucus or purulent sputum, etc.
Since you are having cold and nasal congestion, this can be a likely possibility.
GERD: This condition too presents with the similar symptoms as described by you and usually subsides after taking Antacids or proton pump inhibitors group of drugs.
Panic attacks: This is a condition that is seen in hyperthyroid patients with anxiety related symptoms. This can also present with chest pain, breathlessness and other generalized symptoms. This condition can also be confused with cardiac problems.
It is important to rule out the exact cause after physical examination and investigations. Hence, please see your Primary Doctor for complete examination and the treatment would follow according.
Hope this answers your query. I will be glad to answer the follow up queries that you have.
Regards.
Thanks for posting your query.
A severe chest pain with a score of 9 out of 10 is usually due to cardiac problems.
Heart attack is unlikely to develop at a young age like yours.
Still it would be better to get the following investigations done to rule out cardiac related problems.
1. Troponin -T and CPK-MB
2. ECG in all leads with a rhythm strip in lead 2
3. Echocardiography
4. Tread mill test
5. Thallium scan (Myocardial perfusion scintigraphy)
The other possibilities that need to be ruled out with the help of your physician are muscular pain, GERD, Pleuritis, etc.
The pain also could be due to musculoskeletal inflammation - This can be diagnosed if the pain increases on specific movements or on direct pressure on the affected area. Such pain can respond to medications like Ibuprofen 400 mg taken three times a day. This generally resolves within a week.
Pneumonitis Or Pleuritis : Here the pain increases on XXXXXXX breaths and is associated with symptoms like cough, expectoration of mucus or purulent sputum, etc.
Since you are having cold and nasal congestion, this can be a likely possibility.
GERD: This condition too presents with the similar symptoms as described by you and usually subsides after taking Antacids or proton pump inhibitors group of drugs.
Panic attacks: This is a condition that is seen in hyperthyroid patients with anxiety related symptoms. This can also present with chest pain, breathlessness and other generalized symptoms. This condition can also be confused with cardiac problems.
It is important to rule out the exact cause after physical examination and investigations. Hence, please see your Primary Doctor for complete examination and the treatment would follow according.
Hope this answers your query. I will be glad to answer the follow up queries that you have.
Regards.
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
Answered by
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