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Having Sharp Pain And Pressure On Chest. What Could Be This?

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Posted on Thu, 31 Oct 2013
Question: My blood pressure is 187 over 110. Pulse is 67. I had a sharp pain in the middle of my chest. This pain is gone now but I have some discomfort like pressure on my chest.
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Answered by Dr. Michelle Gibson James (34 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
need to rule out heart attack

Detailed Answer:
HI, thanks for using healthcare magic

Chest pain can be related to any structure in the chest from the skin inwards.

The most worrying causes of chest pain are related to the heart and lungs.

Because of your age and history of hypertension, heart related causes need to be ruled out first.

Heart: angina- this is chest pain that occurs on activity when the heart needs more blood,it usually stops on rest.

Myocardial infarction (heart attack)- this causes severe chest pain that is central or going towards the left of the chest.
It is associated with shortness of breath, palpitations, nausea, anxiety, sweating, light headedness.

The blood pressure tends to go up when a person is having a heart attack.

It would be best to seek medical attention to rule out a cardiac event. This would involve examination, an ECG (looks at the rate, rhythm and any areas of stress on the heart) and blood tests looking for heart enzymes that are released when the heart is damaged.

If you have aspirin at home, you may want to take it prior to going to the hospital.

There are other causes that would be checked if these are normal, this includes lung disease- pulmonary embolism (blockage of a blood vessel in the lung), pneumonia

Muscle and bone- injury or inflammation of the bone and muscle

I hope this helps, feel free to ask any other questions
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Michelle Gibson James

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :2001

Answered : 16808 Questions

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Having Sharp Pain And Pressure On Chest. What Could Be This?

Brief Answer:
need to rule out heart attack

Detailed Answer:
HI, thanks for using healthcare magic

Chest pain can be related to any structure in the chest from the skin inwards.

The most worrying causes of chest pain are related to the heart and lungs.

Because of your age and history of hypertension, heart related causes need to be ruled out first.

Heart: angina- this is chest pain that occurs on activity when the heart needs more blood,it usually stops on rest.

Myocardial infarction (heart attack)- this causes severe chest pain that is central or going towards the left of the chest.
It is associated with shortness of breath, palpitations, nausea, anxiety, sweating, light headedness.

The blood pressure tends to go up when a person is having a heart attack.

It would be best to seek medical attention to rule out a cardiac event. This would involve examination, an ECG (looks at the rate, rhythm and any areas of stress on the heart) and blood tests looking for heart enzymes that are released when the heart is damaged.

If you have aspirin at home, you may want to take it prior to going to the hospital.

There are other causes that would be checked if these are normal, this includes lung disease- pulmonary embolism (blockage of a blood vessel in the lung), pneumonia

Muscle and bone- injury or inflammation of the bone and muscle

I hope this helps, feel free to ask any other questions