Take it for sure
If you have pain in your heart area, you are undoubtedly concerned. When should you go to the doctor with chest pain?
Chest pain can be felt in several places: in your rib cage, between the ribs, behind or below the sternum. Sometimes the pain is mainly on the left or right side, but you may also feel pain in the center of your chest. The pain can also radiate to your neck, jaw, arms, back or shoulders.
You may experience chest pain suddenly, but it can also last for a while. Some people suffer from it all the time. Others get pain when they cough or exert themselves.
Chest pain may immediately make you think of a heart attack, but it can also have other, more innocent causes. For example, heartburn, muscle pain or stress.
Heart attack symptoms
When you have a heart attack, you may experience symptoms such as:
- Discomfort or pain in the upper body. For example, a pressing, heavy, painful or uncomfortable feeling in the chest, back, neck, shoulders, arms, wrists, elbows, between the shoulder blades, in the jaw, throat or even in the gums or earlobes.
- Stomach and intestinal problems.
- Flu-like symptoms.
- Shortness of breath.
In addition, women who have a heart attack can suffer from these lesser-known complaints:
- Pain between the shoulder blades, in the upper abdomen, jaw, neck or back.
- Fever, sweating.
- extreme fatigue.
- Unrest, fear.
- Dizziness.
When to go to the doctor?
Unfortunately, you never know with 100 percent certainty what the cause of your pain in the heart area is. If you’re not sure whether your pain symptoms are related to your heart, just be on the safe side: always consult your doctor.
Call 112 immediately if your symptoms persist for more than 5 minutes, even at rest.
