Differential Diagnosis of Chest Pain

Chest pain is one of the most common medical complaints experienced in various age groups. Unlike the standard thought that chest pain is only related to heart diseases, there are many many different health conditions that can cause this symptom. Although chest pain cannot always be an indication of a serious illness, but seeking medical attention is a must in all cases, as most of the diagnosis point towards illnesses that can get chronic if not given the right attention.

Diagnosis for Chest Pain

As mentioned earlier, chest pain can lead to various causes and can be an indication to various health diseases. According to DiagnosisPro, there can be more than 440 differential diagnosis of chest pain which includes both serious and well as non serious diseases and health problems. Mentioned below are some of the commonly detected diagnosis of chest pain. Have a look.

Diagnostic Area	Health Problems
Cardiovascular Diseases	Heart Attacks Angina Pectoris (Cramps / pain in the center of the chest) Coronary Heart Disease Aortic Calcification / Aortic dissection (Deposition of calcium in the aorta) Cardiac Arrhythmia (Abnormal or irregular electrical activity in the heart)
Pulmonary Diseases	Pulmonary Embolism (Blockage in the lung artery) Pleurisy (Go through pleurisy symptoms) Pneumothorax (Collection of air around the lungs) Pneumonia (Lung inflammation) Hemothorax (Blood accumulation in the pleural cavity that surrounds the lungs)
Mental Illnesses	Panic Attacks Hypochondriasis (Excessive fear of having a serious disease) Anxiety Disorder Depression Cardiac Psychosis (Psychological effects of cardiac transplantation)
Gastrointestinal Diseases	Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (Heartburn) Esophageal Rupture (Rupture of the esophageal wall due to vomiting) Functional Dyspepsia (Indigestion) Peptic Ulcers (Ulcerative lesion in the upper part of the small intestine or the lining of the stomach) Esophageal Reflux (Acid reflux disease)
Diseases in Chest wall	Chest Wall Inflammation Tuberculosis Costochondritis (Inflammation of the cartilage that connects a rib to the breastbone) Shingles (Skin rashes caused by a viral infection) Fibromyalgia (Pain that occurs the muscle and connective tissue)
Other Diseases	Abdominal Pain Gallbladder Diseases Pancreas Problems Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Hyperventilation Syndrome Sarcoidosis Disease (Inflammation develops in either lungs, lymph nodes, eyes or other tissues) Lead Poisoning

Some other causes of chest pain could be,

• Hiatal hernia which is a condition when a part of the stomach slides up to the chest.
• Achalasia which is a swallowing disorder wherein the lower esophagus doesn't open properly to swallow food.
• If you have a pinched nerve, you can experience chest pain.
• Even a broken rib or a bruised rib may lead to acute pain in chest.
• Though very rare, but even cancer can be the cause of chest pain, like breast cancer or any other cancer that has spread to the chest area.

The aforementioned are a few among the possible reasons behind the chest pain that you are experiencing. Some of them are also found in children. Keeping in mind the seriousness of the illness that may be followed by a chest pain, it is best to consult your health care specialist whenever you experience a pain in chest to avoid further complications.

Symptoms of Severe Chest Pain that Needs Medical Attention

Now that we have a decent idea of the possible differential diagnosis of chest pain, let us have a look at the symptoms accompanied with chest pain, that should be given immediate medical attention. These are as follows.

Symptoms associated with Heart Problems

• Breathing problems
• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Excessive Sweating
• A feeling of pressure in your chest.
• Tightening in chest
• Severe chest pain traveling all around your back, neck, jaws, arms and shoulders.
• Re occurrence of the pain which stays for a few minutes and returns after sometime with varied intensity.

Symptoms not related to heart diseases

• Intense pain while heavy coughing or chest hurts when breathing.
• Pain while swallowing food or liquid.
• A feeling that the area behind your sternum (breastbone) is burning or burning in chest.
• Feeling tenderness while pressing your chest inwards.
• Varied intensity of pain while physical movements.
• A feeling of food re entering your mouth from the stomach with a sour taste.

Treatment for Chest Pain

Your treatment would depend upon the cause of chest pain. Don't try to take control of the situation on your own as chest pain is one of the most complicated symptom when it comes to identifying the cause. Only an experienced health care provider will be able to diagnose the right cause and start with the correct medication. Therefore, getting in touch with your doctor would only be the best way to determine the best treatment for chest pain.

Among all the different health conditions, chest pain is among the few which should never be taken lightly. I am sure by going through this article, you would have understood the sensitivity of the condition. Therefore, like I have already mentioned several times in this article, get in touch with your health care provider as soon as possible. The earlier you get yourself checked, the better it would be to prevent severe complications. Take care.