Emergency Urgent Care: When to Go to an ER: Chest Pain
Chest pain is one of the most frightening symptoms one can experience and may be a sharp, dull, burning, and aching or even a crushing sensation on the chest area; that is the area between the neck and abdomen. Given that chest pain is one of the key signs of a heart attack and other heart issues, it is one of those symptoms that will have you extremely worried when you experience it. However, it should also be noted that chest pain does not always indicate an issue with the heart, and in fact most cases of chest pain actually aren’t related with the heart in any way. It may also not be a sign of a medical emergency needing an immediate visit to an ER such as the excellent frontlineer.com for emergency urgent care. Some of the not so serious causes of chest pain include heartburn, severe physical exertion where you may for instance have just come from a run and need to catch your breath among others. Chest pain may also indicate issues with the ribs, lungs, digestive system and so forth. Given that chest pain may be a sign of a number of varying issues, it is not always easy to tell if it is a medical emergency or not. This article will look to help with that by highlighting some of the signs and symptoms that indicate that you should go to an ER for chest pain.
You should always go to an ER if you are experiencing chest pain accompanied by tightness, squeezing or a crushing sensation in your chest. This should always be taken seriously as it is a sign of a heart attack, which is a medical emergency and a life-threatening condition. You should also go to an ER for chest pain if you are experiencing chest pain accompanied by breathing problems. Breathing problems should always be taken very seriously and they include shortness of breath, shallow breathing among others. If your chest pain is radiating towards the shoulders, neck, arms or jaw, then you should also head over to an ER, such as the highly rated frontlineer.com, as soon as you can to be attended to. If your chest pain is unlike any other you have ever experienced before or it is more severe than any chest pain you may have experienced before, then you should also head over to an ER as soon as possible. The above are some of the signs and symptoms of a heart attack and should be taken very seriously. Keep in mind that if you are experiencing a heart attack, going to the ER involves calling 911 and have an ambulance come take you to the ER. You should never look to drive yourself to an ER if you are experiencing symptoms of a heart attack.
You should also call 911 and have yourself taken to an ER for emergency urgent care if you are experiencing chest pain and you have a strong family history of heart disease. You should also do the same if you are experiencing chest pain, are 40 years old or above and have one or more risk factors for heart disease. These risk factors for heart disease, as per the subject matter experts over at frontlineer.com, include smoking, obesity, uncontrolled diabetes, an unhealthy diet high on fat, cholesterol and sugar, excessive consumption of alcohol, stress, among others. Chest pain accompanied by the deterioration of your mental status also indicates that you should call 911 and have yourself taken to an ER as soon as possible. Signs of this include if you are extremely confused or disoriented or if you are having a feeling of impending doom. Also look out for signs of shock if you are experiencing chest pain. These signs of shock include an inability to stand or walk and severe weakness and if you experience such symptoms as well as your chest pain, then you should call 911 and have yourself taken to an ER as soon as possible for emergency urgent care.
Also keep an eye on some of your vital signs, especially your pulse and blood pressure. If you are experiencing an extremely fast or an irregular pulse, then you should call 911 and have yourself taken to an ER as soon as you can. You should do the same if you are experiencing an extremely low blood pressure or heart rate or even rapid breathing. Keep an eye on your skin, and if you notice a rapid loss of color and that your skin is rapidly turning pale, then you should also head over to an ER, like the excellent frontlineer.com, as soon as you can to be attended to. Excessive sweating is also another red flag to look out for which should also end with you in an ER for emergency urgent care. If you are experiencing chest pain the is getting worse with each passing moment for the first 10 to 15 minutes, then you should also call 911 and have yourself taken to an ER as soon as possible. You should also go to an ER if you are experiencing chest pain after having suffered trauma to the chest area or after having been involved in a car accident or any other major accident such as a heavy or high fall among others. In such a situation, your chest pain may be a sign of broken ribs or sternum and should be taken seriously.
Remember, if you are experiencing chest pain accompanied by signs of a heart attack, you should call 911 as soon as possible to be taken to an ER. You shouldn’t wait for it to pass as the more time you waste, the more damage your heart muscles suffer. For more information of this and other related topics as well as for the best emergency urgent care services, don’t forget to visit the excellent frontlineer.com
